My Soul To Steal
by the butt-loving cynic
Summary: So I'm supposed to be a sort of all-you-can-eat power buffet for demons? HAH! There's no way in hell I'm letting that happen. I'd rather become a cliche Mary Sue than succumb to Sebastian's "charms". Arrogant demon bastard. FINISHED.
1. That Girl, Kidnapped

**Here's the revised edition of ****My Soul To Steal!**** This time around, there will be no Mary Sue-ness. …we hope. For those of you who are new, my friend Hannah and I are writing this story for our own entertainment, but we are trying to please other readers also. The first version of this (and it only was one chapter, how sad is that?) was complete shit. So, we're giving it another go. We apologize for any mere hints of slight OOC-ness of the Kuroshitsuji characters; we are trying our best to make this as amazing as possible. On a side note: this will be an OC-revolving story. If you don't like OCs, then leave. Also, there will be NO YAOI WHATSOEVER. If you are a yaoi fangirl who thought this would have lots of delicious SebastianXCiel tidbits, you might want to leave too. There will most likely bits where we make fun of yaoi things; sorry, Hannah and I just aren't too big on major yaoi things.**

**~Yuki of Atama Ga Kuru Teru**

_**Chapter One**_

"Aura! Hurry up already, there's no one here that's going to see you. You'll be fine as long as you hide behind the shelves if you're that scared of someone recognizing you."

"…Zoe…I really hate you for this. How many times have I told you that I REFUSE to be a part of your weird Japanese obsessions?"

"More than I can count, but you promised you'd do anything I wanted you to today. It IS my birthday, after all."

"All right, all right! Don't look at me with that creepy abused puppy stare. I'll just go with this and act like I don't know you."

"Yay! Thank you, Aura-chan! You're the best!"

"Zoe. No adding 'chan' to the end of my name. I draw the line there."

"Woops, sorry. Got carried away."

I sighed and just shook my head as my best friend, Zoe Kent, flashed me that hyper grin she had perfected over the years and ran into the manga section of the bookstore. It was her seventeenth birthday today, and I HAD promised I would let her drag me around doing anything she wanted me to.

But I didn't think Zoe was going to try to rope me into her weird anime-manga crap.

My name is Aura Monray. I am sixteen (soon to be seventeen in a month) years old and I have hippie parents. That explains my name—"Aura". My parents named me that in high hopes I would get all the "good vibes" and stuff in the world. Don't ask me, I'm not a hippie. I have brown hair that reaches my waist when it's down—right now it was in a tight braid—and I dyed a streak of silver in it about two months ago. I have eyes that Zoe always describes as "ice blue" and I consider myself slightly Goth. But not a whole lot. In fact, right now I was wearing a green t-shirt with a hippie-looking smiley face holding a guitar, and it was saying "Peace, Love, and Hippiness" around the smiley face and a pair of long blue jeans with my old faded white flip-flops. See, if I were Goth, I'd be all in black. But I'm not.

I was spending my wonderful Saturday being toted around by my best friend into all the bookstores she could find so she could use all her birthday money on her weird Japanese backwards books. Zoe was OBSESSED with anime and manga—she lived, breathed, slept, and ate it. I didn't mind her obsession as long as she didn't try to suck me into the dark little hole it is, but being as it was her birthday today, I was going to just go with it and forget about this whole day by tomorrow.

"Aura, have I ever showed you Black Butler?" Zoe asked, holding up a book with a butler-looking dude on the front. I scooted closer into the manga section, trying to disguise myself as the shelves as a couple of cute boys walked past.

I shook my head. "I don't think so. If you did, I don't remember."

"Oh! I remember, I DID show you episode one of it a couple of weeks ago, But I called it 'Kuroshitsuji'—it's official Japanese name." Zoe clapped her hands together in delight as she remembered. Her strawberry blonde hair fell into her adorable face, and her hazel eyes were sparkling happily. Zoe was wearing a white shirt with a pair of bloodied fangs on the front—on the back it said "VAMPIRES SUCK". She was also wearing a pair of shorts and bright purple tennis shoes.

My eye twitched as I thought grudgingly that Zoe looked like those "chibi" characters she always showed me despite the odd assortment of clothing she was wearing today. We were character foils of each other in a way: she was light, I was dark. We were like Romeo and Mercutio! Only…we didn't swing swords at people in fancy tights.

"Kuro…Kuro…what?"

"Kuroshitsuji!" Zoe smiled and stroked the glossy cover of the manga book. "Remember? The one that's set in Victorian England, with the hot butler named Sebastian, and his little kid master Ciel Phantomhive?"

It was coming back to me, but just a little. "I really can't keep all your series straight, Zoe. All I remember from that show is the table cloth getting stained…"

"Well, this is Sebastian on the cover. You should read this series, Aura! It's really good." Zoe shoved the book in my hands and scoured through the manga stacks for more. "I wonder what else I should get…"

I sighed and took out my iPod, putting the ear buds into my ears and turning it on. I flipped through my songs until I found "Walk Through Hell" by Say Anything, and pressed PLAY on my iPod's menu buttons. My foot tapped in the rhythm of the song and I hummed along, occasionally glancing at what Zoe was doing. She was still goggling over all the different manga books, and I couldn't resist smirking at how happy she could get just by looking at the title covers and reading their names out loud.

When I had dozed off slightly, I noticed a sleek feeling stroking my arm. I looked down at it and blanched as I saw Zoe smirking and rubbing another volume of Black Butler against my arm—the Sebastian guy smiled up at me innocently. I snatched the book away from her and glared. "Zoe, do NOT make fictional characters book-rape my arm. That's just RUDE."

"I couldn't resist! You were vulnerable." She grinned and went back to searching through the manga. I began to wonder if she would ever be able to leave this place or if Zoe would stay staring at book covers for a couple of days. Or years. You could never tell with Zoe.

I glanced down at the Black Butler volume I was holding onto for Zoe. The guy on the cover was pouring a cup of tea out of a silver pot, and he had black hair that framed his angular face. He was wearing a black butler's uniform, and deep burgundy eyes stared up back at me. Now I was remembering that episode Zoe ahd made me watch: Kuroshitsuji was the anime with the demon butler who was trying to suck out a little boy's soul. "And this guy is Sebastian, the pedophile who wants to devour the kid's soul," I mused quietly, careful not to invoke Zoe's fangirl wrath.

As I was starting to look up to check on Zoe's progress, I noticed a small movement on the cover of the book out of the corner of my eye. Thinking it was a bug crawling on the book, I looked back down at it and almost fell back when the Sebastian guy on the cover winked at me. Shaking my head, I thought, _It was just a trick of the lights or something. _That alone didn't really convince me, however. I gripped Zoe's shirt and muttered through gritted teeth, "I swear to God the butler dude on the book winked at me."

"I know you don't like anime and manga, but that doesn't give you permission to tease me like that," Zoe glared at me. In her arms she held about five more volumes of the Black Butler books. Suddenly she looked over my shoulder, and her mouth dropped. Zoe dropped the manga volumes she held in her hands and pointed a trembling finger behind me. "A-Aura…it's a…c-cosplayer!"

"…what?" I turned around and saw a guy who looked pretty similar to the butler guy on the cover of the book I was holding walking towards us. He had the same hairstyle and the same exact clothes. When he got closer, I noticed he also had the same reddish-brown eyes as the Sebastian guy. "Zoe, aren't we a little too old to be flipping out over people in costumes? I mean, we ARE juniors in high school."

She was ignoring me. With a happy and somewhat brainwashed looking grin, Zoe bounced up the Sebastian-lookalike and squealed, "Oh my God! You're the first cosplayer I've ever seen! And you're cosplaying as Sebastian Michaelis, too…that's awesome, because I'm trying to get my friend here hooked on that series!" Zoe pointed to me.

"Hey!" I cried out indignantly. "I already told you, I'm not falling into that creepy obsessive behavior you have when it comes to this Japanese shit. I'm just here because it's your birthday."

Zoe stuck her tongue out at me and turned her attention back to the black-clad man in front of us. Now that I looked more closely at him, he was sort of attractive. In a clean-cut, goody-goody way. "Can you please say a catch phrase for me? Like, 'I'm one hell of a butler'?"

The Sebastian dude blinked at her. "Who are you, miss?" He had a nice British accent. "Oh, are you Aura Monray?" He tilted his head inquiringly.

Zoe frowned and shook her head. "Um, no. I'm her best friend, Zoe Kent. THIS is Aura!" She pulled me towards them and grabbed the Black Butler book out of my arms.

"How the hell do you know my name?" I demanded sharply. I didn't like this guy; he had a creepy stare that felt like it was literally burning into my soul. Plus, he knew my name. Stalkerish, much?

"I've been looking for you."

…All right, I REALLY don't like this guy. "Come any closer and I'll put you in a headlock so fast you won't know what happened," I threatened. My hands were trembling as the weird guy stared at me. Chills ran up and down my spine as his burgundy-shaded eyes met mine.

"Why are you looking for her?" Zoe asked, her tone as shocked as I felt. "Does Aura owe somebody money she lost in a bet?"

"I DON'T GAMBLE!" I glared at my idiotic best friend and crossed my arms, turning my glower onto the British butler man who was standing in front of me. "Why the hell have you been looking for me? Are you a stalker or something? Because my uncle is in the police, and I can get you arrested faster than you can say—"

The man's hand suddenly lashed out and hit me on the back of the neck and my knees buckled as I fell down, and then everything went fuzzy. The last thing I remembered was hearing Zoe's shocked scream and seeing the Sebastian-lookalike bending down towards my face. His oddly colored eyes were now a bright pinkish tone, and their pupils were just cat-like slits.

My eyes fluttered shut as dizziness overcame me, and then everything turned to darkness.

**X~X~*~X~X**

_Ugh…my head HURTS. What did I do last night? Did Zoe and I somehow stumble into her parent's "secret stash" of vodka? I hope not. I plan on staying sober until college._

…_CRAP! If we DID get drunk, I can't afford to have a hangover today! I have that biology final that I have to study for still! I can't study on a hangover! Plus, my parents will be pissed! This sucks, why the fuck did Zoe and I have to be so—_

_Wait._

_We didn't get drunk._

_We were at the bookstore, and Zoe was trying to get me hooked on that butler manga. And then that guy who looked like the Sebastian character walked in, and he…_

"The little bastard freaking assaulted me in the middle of the store, and now I'm probably his prisoner in his creepy basement!" My eyes shot open and I jumped up. Looking around at my surroundings, I blanched at what my eyes were processing and sending to my slightly incoherent brain: I was in a fancy-ass bed in a fancy-ass room that resembled a set off of _The Duchess_and I was most certainly not with Zoe anymore.

"What…the hell…" I gulped and slowly slid off the bed, inspecting my surroundings. Where was Zoe? Where were her Japanese backwards books? Where was Mr. Sebastian Imposter? Where was _**I?**_

"If this is somebody's idea of a joke, it's not funny at all. Zoe, get your skinny ass out here with Ashton Kutcher ready to tell me I was Punk'd before I burn all your Japanese franchise!" I yelled angrily. I was starting to get PISSED. I got even angrier when I noticed that my iPod was long gone, as well as my cell phone.

"Whoever the hell put me in here and took my precious technology, I'm going to slowly roast you over a fire on a spit and shove an apple through your screaming mouth," I growled, getting on my hands and knees to look under the bed for my stuff. The carpet was spotless and lush, the epitome of fancy rich people taste. As was the rest of the room. I bet I could have eaten off the window and still be bacteria free.

After about ten minutes of scouring the fancy Victorian-style room and having no luck whatsoever of finding my stuff, I gave up and just sat on the bed in a puddle of emo sorrow. Curling up into the fetal position, I stared at the pure white wall and muttered, "At least I still have my clothes on."

I was silent as I thought a bit more. There was a door that I assumed would lead me into a hallway of some sort over by the window. I just wasn't sure what I would find once I ventured out of this room. Would there be a rapist waiting to drag me into a closet and…do stuff? I started to pick at a string on my pants, sighing and hoping that this was all a dream.

My hopes were dashed when the door opened and a tall guy dressed in black walked in, followed by a short little kid who looked like he had a stick up his ass.

"Oh, great," I moaned, rolling over so that my face was pressed into the mattress. "It's my kidnapper. And his little bitch too, I bet. I'm doomed."

"Miss Aura Monray, my master and I would like to speak to you." The guy who had kidnapped me cleared his throat. "It is of utmost importance."

I didn't answer.

Then the little kid cleared his throat, too. "Sebastian, you neglected to mention she had the worst manners in the world."

"My apologies, Master Ciel. I did not think she would be so…uncooperative."

"All right, what the hell did you want from me?" I snapped, looking back up so I could face my kidnappers. I noticed the little boy had blackish-blue hair and a cute face; I estimated him to be around twelve or thirteen. He had an eye patch on his right eye, and the other was a dark blue. He was wearing fancy aristocratic clothes and carried a cane.

"To put it simply…for you to listen." The butler guy answered. "I have some news that you might find interesting."

"And what would they be, oh-most-mighty butler clad in black?" I crossed my arms and stared pointedly at him and the little snobbish-looking kid.

"Well…first off, I am Sebastian Michaelis, humble butler in service of the Phantomhive family. This is my master, Ciel Phantomhive." He pointed to the little brat and bowed.

"Wait…" I blinked. "Those are those characters from that Kuroshitsuji thing Zoe made me watch and tried to get me to read…" Then I started to laugh, clutching my stomach as it started to hurt from it. "You guys are really dedicated to that Japanese anime crap! More than Zoe, I think! This is a nice trick, did Zoe put you up to this?"

"No. We are real. As real as you are," Sebastian said. Just for a moment, it was almost as if his eyes flashed bright pink. I shuddered, not knowing why I suddenly felt so…vulnerable. "I know you may not believe this, but I have brought you here for your own good. If I had allowed you to stay in your present home, those around you would be affected by what is to come to you."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I demanded.

"Sebastian, do try to get on with it," Ciel ordered blatantly. "It's almost time for my afternoon tea."

"Of course, Bocchan. I apologize." Sebastian bowed again, and then he turned his attention on me. _"Bocchan"?_ I thought with a curl of my upper lip. It sounded funny. _What the hell does THAT mean?_ "Aura, to use terms that a human like you would understand…your soul is something that can give a demon magnificent powers beyond what he or she already has." Sebastian paused, giving me some time to let that sink in. "If you were still where you were when I found you, demons more dangerous than I would have apprehended you and devoured your soul."

"…oh yeah…you're a demon butler, aren't you?" I remembered what Zoe had told me. "W-wait…does that mean you're gonna try to eat me, too?"

"Not right away, I will not. Your soul still needs time to develop to its most powerful stage; my master and I have decided it would be best if you were to do that here. I will protect you as well as Master Ciel, because once I consume your soul…" Sebastian smiled in a way that seemed to hold no malice, but I could detect a firm trace of evil in that creepy grin. "I will have the means to protect my precious master in ways that I could not have done before."

"Like hell I'm gonna let you do that!" I scooted off the bed and landed in front of Sebastian and Ciel. I poked the very tall butler in the chest with my forefinger, pressing my nail into his skin with each word. "I never asked for this. I never asked to get kidnapped against my will, and I never asked to be considered as some all-powerful demon crack."

"Demon crack?" Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Did you really just refer to yourself as demon crack?"

"Shut up, Shorty! I'm the one with the 'magical soul' thing going on here, I can call myself whatever the hell I want!" I snapped. I couldn't believe this was happening. I didn't even LIKE anime and manga—why did I have to be the "lucky" person with this freaking destiny? "Why couldn't Zoe have been the one to do this? She likes this kind of crap, not me!"

"So, you would prefer your friend to be devoured by a demon?" Sebastian inquired softly. He suddenly grabbed my hand and tugged it away from him, but held onto it tightly. I was certain I would be able to hear my bones crack. Sebastian leaned into my ear and whispered, "Or would prefer saving her life and allowing yourself to stay in the Phantomhive manor?"

I shivered as his breath brushed against my check. I tried to get out of his grip, but I couldn't. Blushing, I looked down and muttered, "…fine. I'll stay." It wasn't as if I had any other choice. Besides, I had the feeling that even if I wanted to go back home, Sebastian and Ciel wouldn't let me.

"Wonderful!" Sebastian let me go and clapped once in finality. "Although, I regret to inform you that you would have had no other choice. You would have been forced to stay here no matter what, Miss Aura." I so called that one, didn't I?

"Just call me 'Aura'. None of that 'Miss' crap. Honestly, I hate it when people say 'Miss' instead of just calling me by—"

"Sebastian!" Ciel suddenly raised his voice above mine, interrupting what would have been a whole speech. "It is two minutes past my tea time. Wrap this up and then go make me my tea."

"Oh, I did not realize it was that late already. Forgive me, Bocchan." Sebastian bowed, using that weird word to address Ciel again. It sounded Japanese, but…weren't we in England? "You may return to your office; I will have your afternoon refreshments done here shortly."

Ciel nodded and began to walk out the door. Before he completely exited the room, however, he turned and said, "Oh, and Aura? You will be working here as a maid since you will stay. I'm not the type of man who will allow someone to stay without having them earn it. Unless, of course, they are royalty. Enjoy your stay at the Phantomhive Estate. Good day." The little brat left, leaving me steaming in anger and standing alone with his demon butler who admitted he was after my soul.

Sebastian tapped me on the shoulder. "I will leave you in the care of the other servants under the payroll of the Phantomhive family. They will show you around and give you the rules of the house. I know you may despise your current situation as of right now, but I suspect you will come to find that it is not as horrible as you believe it to be."

"And what makes you think that?" I growled. I was in some serious need of either extra-black coffee or one of the things you squeezed whenever you were stressed.

"Just a hunch," Sebastian began to walk towards the door, indicating for me to follow. "And before you ask about your things, they are in my master's office. You may fetch them when you are well-acquainted with the rest of the staff."

"You mean my iPod and my cell phone?" I asked hopefully, trailing behind Sebastian as he led me into the hallway. It was long and full of all sorts of fancy rich crap, just like the room we had just left.

"If that is what you call those odd metallic objects you had in your pockets, then yes."

"Well, that just made my day instantly five times better." I replied a bit dryly. I was excited to hear that my stuff was unharmed, but the more I thought about it the less ecstatic I got. I was now living in nineteenth century London, and there was no way I would ever get my phone or iPod to charge. As I thought about that, another thought hit me. "Hey, Sebastian! How did you get me from the twenty-first century America to…here?"

"The answer is very easy, Aura." Sebastian slowly turned to me and his eyes were their creepy bright reddish-pink again. They looked like a cat's eyes that were infected with Conjunctivitis or something. I got that weird feeling again, the one that made me want to do nothing but crawl under a rock and hide from Sebastian. "I am simply just one hell of a butler."

I didn't know at that time just how much I would come to hate that phrase.

**So, was it better? I hope so. Hannah and I took a Mary Sue quiz to see if this version of Aura was a Mary Sue, and guess what? SHE'S NOT. So if anyone says she is, we will be both annoyed and sad. Again, sorry for all the weirdness the beginning of this story has created. Hopefully there will be no more rewrites. However, if you do feel that this story is starting to turn shitty and Mary Sue-ish once more, please don't hesitate to say so. We would rather have our souls sucked out by a demon than write literary diarrhea. Review if it pleases you to do so, and thank you for reading!**


	2. That Girl, Irate

**Sorry for a late update! We were very busy, and I was trying to finish another fanfic of mine. Just for a further note, ****My Soul To Steal**** will have mentions of both the subbed and dubbed version of the anime (Like when Sebastian uses either 'Bocchan' or 'Young lord' to refer to Ciel). There will also be a few manga references, but not much. This story follow the first season of the anime…so far. Please enjoy chapter two, and sorry for the shortness! We packed in as much humor as we could without going overboard.**

_**Chapter Two**_

Now, I know I probably should have been freaking out more than I was. I mean, I had just been told that my soul was supposed to be all-powerful and make demons…all-powerful. And the fact that fictional characters living in a fictional world created by some Japanese lady who obviously enjoys putting little boys through traumatic situations and dressing them up in odd clothing AND making a creepy demon butler serve them were REAL. But I was as calm as can be while Sebastian lead me through the many hallways of the Phantomhive manor, despite everything that had been thrown at me in the past…ten minutes. Why?

Because I believed that all of this was a dream. A dream caused by some gas leakage in the bookstore that made me dream that a slightly attractive man kidnapped me and brought me to nineteenth-century London, England and that I was going to be the equivalent of demon crack. (Frankly, I really liked phrasing my current situation that way)

In fact, I would bet my soul—okay, not my soul, that's a bit too far at this moment—I would bet my signed copies of the entire Harry Potter series that I was in a hospital in a coma, and Zoe was leaning over my inert comatose body crying and cursing her anime and manga obsession for putting me in this situation.

Why the hell couldn't I have been dragged into the Harry Potter verse and told I was actually Voldemort's secret daughter or something? At least THEY have actual actors…and not animated characters voiced by people with no lives…

And then I could learn spells and be a kick-ass witch, and have a cat familiar, and levitate Draco into a pile of—

"Miss Aura! These are the other house servants my master and I told you about. They will be the ones to show you around the manor and discuss the details of your duties." Sebastian's somewhat annoyed tone snapped me out of my mental rant.

I blinked and realized we were now in what I assumed was the kitchen (why else would there be old-timey stoves and other crap like that) and that there were four other figures before us. One was a twitchy-looking woman with red hair done in two pigtails on either side of her head. She wore glasses and a maid outfit. There were two blonde guys—one looked like he was my age practically with red clips in his hair and he wore a white shirt, plaid pants, and gardening gloves. He had pale skin and big green eyes that gave him the impression of being an innocent little kid. The other blonde guy was kind of hot, in a rugged way. He had stubble all over his chin and had blue-grey eyes. He was wearing what looked like was a chef's outfit and for some reason had safety goggles dangling from his neck. The last guy was this short little old man who was sitting on a cushion on the floor, drinking tea and occasionally weakly chuckling "Ho…ho…ho…ho."

"Everyone, this is the newest member of the Phantomhive household," Sebastian pushed me forward a bit. "Her name is Aura Monray, and she will be working as a maid here from now on. I'd like each of you to introduce yourselves. I shall be going now; the young master is in need of my assistance." The black-clad butler glided out quietly, and I resisted the urge to flip the bastard off.

"Uh…hi." I waved tentatively. "So…yeah. I'm a maid here now. Whoopee. I really had no other alternative." I shifted my feet a bit and waited for someone to say something.

"I'm Mey-Rin, the maid!" The red headed girl chirped friendly.

"The name's Bardroy; I'm the chef," The tougher looking blonde guy pointed to himself importantly.

"And I'm Finnian! I'm the gardener!" The sort of cute blonde boy smiled in a slight dumb fashion.

"Uh…who's the midget man?" I pointed to the old guy sitting on the floor.

"Oh, that's Tanaka. He's the Phantomhive's steward." Bardroy answered. "He's usually like this—don't worry about it too much."

…Toto…I don't think I'm going to stay sane for very much longer.

"Well, let the tour begin!" Finnian did a fist pump and the rest of the household servants followed suit. I soon found myself being dragged by the hand by the overly-happy gardener while Mey-Rin and Bardroy (who was holding Tanaka under his arm for some reason) trailed right behind him. "This is the loo, this is the hallway, this is the library, this is a bedroom, this is another bedroom, this is Master Ciel's bedroom, this is—"

"PUT ME DOWN. NOW." I interrupted loudly. The Finnian was freaking HOLDING ME OVER HIS HEAD. Like…he was going to use me to barrel open a door or something. Seriously, what the fuck?

"GAAAH! FINNI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" Bardroy demanded, putting Tanaka down and grabbing me from Finnian's arms. I twitched at all the man-handling I was getting today. "Sorry, Aura, Finny gets excited easily and doesn't really know his own strength," Bardroy apologized as he set me down.

"I'm so sorry!" Finnian sobbed, kneeling on the ground before me. "I was just so happy that we're getting a new member of the household!"

"Finny, you could have hurt her, yes you could have!" Mey-Rin scolded. "Are you all right, Miss Aura?"

"I'm fine. Other than a bit scarred at being groped around the waist pretty much." I grumbled in response. "Can we please just get this damn tour over with? I don't even know what exactly it is that I have to do!"

"Mey-Rin, how about you finish her tour?" Bardroy suggested. "Tanaka, Finny, and I will go take care of things around the house. Besides, you're the only other maid around her, so it would make sense if you were the one to explain to Aura what her duties are." The cook grinned at me, and I just glared at him. My waist was hurting a bit where Finnian had grabbed me and Bardroy's attitude was just putting me in a fouler mood than I already was.

I'm such a bright ray of sunshine in this dark world. Aren't I?

Don't answer.

"That's a lovely idea, Bard!" Mey-Rin gushed. "We're the only girls in the mansion, so we can get acquainted better if we're alone!"

Bardroy, Finnian, and Tanaka all ran off and left me alone with Mey-Rin. Frankly, I was beginning to think she was a bit brain damaged. She was too peppy, she tripped over her feet a lot, and she was just plain…stupid? I didn't know how to exactly describe Mey-Rin.

"So! As the only two maids in the Phantomhive household, it is our duty to make sure the manor is clean and that everything is in order!" Mey-Rin explained happily as she guided me through the mansion. There was no way in hell I would be memorizing what all these rooms were—this place was too damn big and I knew for a fact I would be most likely getting lost soon.

"So you're the one who maintains this place's shiny spotlessness?" I asked incredulously; Mey-Rin wasn't the type of person who appeared to be on the ball all the time, if you knew what I meant.

The red-haired maid's peppy grin faded a bit and she hung her head. "No…that's Sebastian…I'm much too clumsy to really be of any help, yes I am...Mister Sebastian tends to do everything around here! He's amazing, yes he is! I envy his stamina…Ahhh…"

I was really creeped out when Mey-Rin's eyes turned to hearts under her glasses and she rubbed her cheeks with her hands as she most likely thought kinky thoughts about Sebastian. "Tch! Why do you think so much of that Sebastian guy anyway?" I demanded. "He's such an asshole! No wonder he's a demon."

"A d-demon?" Mey-Rin stammered. "Oh no, no, no, no! Mr. Sebastian is the kindest person here! Yes, he can get angry with us if we slack off, but he's the only one the young master really depends on. Without Sebastian, all of us servants wouldn't be here today!"

I stared at the ditzy maid blankly. _…Dear God. They don't know they literally have a demon in their midst. I bet all these servant people think the WORLD of Mr. Back in Black._ "Okay, let's just drop the subject of Sebastian's 'godliness' and get on with what I'm supposed to do. Where am I staying?"

"Oh, in my room with me!" Mey-Rin replied. "Come on, it's around here, yes it is."

I followed the maid through the hallways and we stopped at a closed door. Mey-Rin opened it to reveal a room with two beds, two dresses, two desks, and pretty much two of everything. However, all the items on the right side of the room were pretty much bare. I assumed those were my things. Mey-Rin bounded over to the closet and pulled out an outfit identical to hers. "This will be your uniform."

I stared at the blue and white maid's outfit as I held it out before me. "There is no way in hell I'm wearing this."

"But you must!" Mey-Rin fretted. "It's traditional, yes it is!"

_So is me shoving a foot in your annoying ass, but you don't see me freaking out about how I'm not doing that now, do you?_ I sighed and hung my head. "…fine. I'll wear the stupid maid clothes and feel like a whore who's dressing up for her sugar daddy. But I draw the line at cat ears and a cat tail."

"…eh?" Mey-Rin tilted her head, smiling in her utter confusion. "What in the world does that mean?"

"Something I'll tell you when you're older, Mey-Rin. But not right now."

**X~X~*~X~X**

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I couldn't believe I was actually wearing a…maid's outfit. I looked HUMILIATING. My awesome carefully crafted clothes that were supposed to scream "Lazy and doesn't care" were now discarded around my feet. The stupid maid dress that Mey-Rin gave me made me feel like a hooker with a British fetish or something. To make matters worse, the skirt was too small for me! It was over my knees! I mean, I know I had stockings to wear under it, but still…this is awful. At least I managed to convince Mey-Rin to not make me wear the freaking bonnet.

"You look positively adorable, yes you do!" Mey-Rin gushed. "I just want to squeeze you all day!"

"Touch me and I will summon a herd of rabid sporks to feast on your soul." I growled. "Don't ask how; I'll find a way to do it."

Mey-Rin blanched and there was an awkward silence moment between the two of us. Then, she hesitantly asked, "Miss Aura? Where are you from?"

"America." I answered while absentmindedly putting my hair in a braid so my silver streak would show. Mey-Rin had drilled it in my head that Sebastian and Ciel would never approve of it because it wasn't proper and lady like, but…frankly, I was going to dedicate my life to making theirs a living hell. Actually, on second thought, it probably already is. Since Sebastian is a demon.

I was just going to do my best to piss them off every day then. Huzzah for my awesomeness.

"The United States?" Mey-Rin gaped at me in shock.

"Yeah. How else do you explain my lack of respect, my non-British accent, and my unladylike clothes?" I tugged a loose thread from the maid dress and watched it as it floated to the ground. "It's not because I'm some homeless girl who was so desperate for money and food that she came to the Phantomhive manor for housing. I'd NEVER be THAT desperate." I shuddered at the thought.

"O-of course not!" Mey-Rin laughed nervously. Changing the subject hastily, she grabbed my hands and said, "We should go tell everyone that you are ready to begin your career as a Phantomhive manor servant!"

_What's up with these guys and grabbing my hands all the flippin' time?_ I thought as Mey-Rin dragged me through the hallways yet again. I was starting to wonder if my limbs were going to end up being ripped from my body at one point during my stay here. If I ever got my hands on the creator of this fucked-up universe, I was going to sue them for giving me mental brain damage or something.

"FINNY! BARD!" Mey-Rin screeched when we made it to the kitchen. "AURA'S ALL SET TO WORK NOW!"

I winced as her shriek pierced my eardrums. Yet another thing I was going to add to the lawsuit; going deaf. Bardroy and Finnian were sitting at the table looking wistfully at a chocolate cake, and Tanaka was sitting ON the table drinking his tea. Okay, seriously, that old guy was really starting to freak me out a bit.

Finnian and Bardroy (or Finny and Bard, I guess) looked up and grinned at me. "Wow, you look like a real maid now, Aura!" Finny piped up.

"That looks good on you, kid," Bard added, giving me a thumbs up.

"You're just saying that to hide up the fact that you want to laugh," I muttered, instantly feeling self-conscious under their gazes. I tried to pull the skirt down to at least go past my knees, but it was to no avail. _Damn British_ _clothing and its non-flexible threads. _"I look awful. Like a prostitute."

"Ho ho ho ho…" Tanaka sipped his tea and chuckled weakly.

"See? The old fart's laughing at me!" I pointed incriminatingly at Tanaka and glared at him. He just sipped his tea and did his weird sleepy Santa laugh.

"That's just Tanaka's way of saying you look lovely," Mey-Rin explained.

"Riiiiiiight." I nodded slowly. "So what's the job that I have to do now? Because I'm bored just standing here doing nothing, and even though I completely despise my current position, I'd rather be doing something productive than this."

"I have the perfect first job for you." I spun around to see—who else?—Sebastian standing in the doorway. He was holding a silver tray with a tea pot and tea cups on it. Sebastian tilted his head and gave me a smug smirk than made my blood boil. "If you can handle it, that is. We wouldn't want you to soil your darling new outfit now, would we?" I couldn't believe that Mey-Rin, Finny, Bard, and Tanaka didn't even give each other confused glances at Sebastian's haughty tone. Did this guy have them brainwashed or something to love him? You know what, since Sebastian was a demon, that probably wasn't too far from home.

"I'm pretty damn sure I can handle whatever lovely treat you have in store for me," I replied as calmly as I could. My eye was twitching with rage though. God, why was Sebastian so…infuriating? "And I would very much appreciate it if you wouldn't mention…this." I gestured to my new uniform that I hate almost as much as Sebastian himself.

"Why not? I think you look positively adorable," Sebastian replied, sounding hurt. "You wound me, Miss Aura. I am merely being the best Phantomhive butler I can be by being truthful."

"Just shut the hell up and tell me what I have to do." I crossed my arms over my chest irately. I hoped that the other house servants could feel the livid aura (no pun intended) around me as I glared at the demon butler.

"Very well, Miss Aura." Sebastian bowed elegantly without spilling any of the tea on the platter. The guy just couldn't comply with my earlier request and insisted on calling me "Miss Aura," couldn't he? "The job that the young master and I would like for you to do is a simple task, one that a Phantomhive servant should be able to do swiftly." He paused for a dramatic added effective, and I rolled my eyes. "Aura, we would like for you to feed the dog."

"…feed the dog? That's it?" I raised an eyebrow in mock horror and adopted a crappy British accent. "Oh dear, whatever shall I do? The accursed canine will most likely get dirty paw prints over my new dress!"

But from the looks on the other Phantomhive servants' faces, I was guessing that "feeding the dog" wouldn't be as easy as I suspected.

**And that's it for chapter two! How well do you think Aura will fare against Pluto? The poor girl has no idea what she's up against…fufufufu…**

**Please review and tell us what you think!**

**~Yuki of Atama Ga Kuru Teru**


	3. That Girl, Harassed

**Thank you very much for over 30 reviews in just two chapters! That's…the most ANY story on this profile has every gotten. We love you dearly for that ^_^ Now, please enjoy chapter three! (Which, by the way, will involve the abused use of CAPS lock. You have been warned.)**

_**Chapter Three**_

"There is no way that constitutes as a DOG." I said slowly as I stared at the beast in front of me. "Dogs aren't THE SIZE OF AN ELEPHANT."

"You said you would be able to handle it," Sebastian said from his post a few feet behind me. He tossed me a box of what looked like dog treats or something. "Now are you really going to go back on your word? That is no attitude fit for a Phantomhive servant, Miss Aura." He made a "tsk-tsk" sound in his throat and shook his head sadly.

I gulped and surveyed my…job. A giant-ass white dog was sleeping in front of me, its tail occasionally thumping against the grass. Apparently, it was having nice dreams. Sebastian and the rest of the Phantomhive household were hiding behind the stairs and watching me quietly. Ciel, of course, was nowhere to be seen. I advanced towards the huge canine and wondered how I would go about feeding this thing.

_Maybe I can just put this box in front of its mouth and then run like hell, and hope that it eats them when I'm gone. _I thought, resisting the urge to poke the very fluffy tail that was sort of…fun to watch. I don't know why. _Why in God's name is there a dog this freaking huge at the Phantomhive manor?_ I narrowed my eyes at the rear view I had and decided to just go with that plan.

For now.

If it suddenly woke up and tried to attack me, well…I'm pretty sure Sebastian would just watch as I was mauled into bloody little pieces and then have Mey-Rin or somebody clean it up.

I tiptoed around the dog's body so that I was now at its front. Up close, it looked slightly…cute…when it was sleeping. Kind of like a puppy. Only, a freakishly large puppy that I had a feeling would try to rip me apart if I got too close or something. It also had a collar around its neck. _I REALLY want to know why this dog is here. Is it a watch dog? If I asked Sebastian he would just stare at me while pouring tea or something…_

I carefully set the box of doggy treats down in front of the giant canine's jaws and stepped back in alarm when its nose suddenly twitched. I made an odd "eep" noise in the back of my throat as the dog's eyes blinked open slowly and it was suddenly staring at me with bright red eyes. I had only enough time to think _Hey, Sebastian and this dog must be related, because they both have red eyes_ when the it sniffed at the box of dog treats, opened its mouth, (which was full of many sharp teeth, by the way) and ate the whole thing in one freaking bite.

And then it attacked me.

Well, "attacked" isn't the right word. If the dog had really "attacked" me, I guess there would be more growling, teeth ripping at my soft flesh, pain coursing through every part of my body, and various other things that define the phrase "dog attack." What the damn thing did was jump on me so that I was now struggling under its furry body which, by the way, WAS VERY HEAVY.

"GET IF OFF OF ME!" I screeched, waving my free hand (the other was pretty much crushed under the dog) at the gaping Phantomhive servants. "I CAN'T BREATHE!"

"PLU-PLU!" Finnian yelled. "Bad doggy! Get off the nice lady!" The dog just kind of stared at him and then licked me in the face.

"AHHHHH! It's all…DROOLY!" I stared at Sebastian with "Help me" eyes, hoping he would put his big ego aside and get the damn dog off of me. "And its breath smells awful…"

"Arf! Arf, arf!" The giant hound excitedly barked, shoving its cold nose against my chest. I felt violated—technically, it had just…felt me up? I paled and tried not to cry out when it nuzzled me again.

"Sebastian! You just can't let Pluto suffocate Aura like that!" Bardroy yelled. "That damned dog only listens to you, so make it stop!"

I didn't hear Sebastian answer, and that made me quite angry. I mean, for crap's sake! I'm under a thousand pound hound that wants to lick my face off. The least that demonic asshole can do is get the freaking thing off of me instead of just watching with a bored expression. Which, I was pretty sure, he was doing. "Dammit Sebastian!" I yelled, flipping the black-clad butler off (much to everyone else's shock, I'm sure. "Phantomhive servants shouldn't use such vulgarity, Miss Aura! It's awful and blah blah blah…") "If you're the only one who can control this dog…THEN GET IF OFF OF ME RIGHT NOW!" My screaming seemed to make the damn dog on top of me even more excited, and it slobbered all over me again. Seriously, why did it think I was a human Popsicle or something?

"Mister Sebastian, Pluto is going to drown Aura in his drool, yes he is!" I heard Mey-Rin fret. Well, at least my fellow maid was concerned for me. Thank you, ditzy four-eyes. "Why won't you stop him?"

"Ho…ho…ho…ho…" Tanaka chuckled weakly. I really wanted to pour that guy's tea all over his shriveled little head. Why did he always laugh at my pain?

"This is why I like cats better!" I cried over Pluto's excited barking. I think he wanted more food or something, and in his tiny doggy brain he thought I had those dog treats hidden underneath my clothes. "Cats wouldn't sexually harass me, or grow to the size of a school bus!"

"You like cats?" I heard Sebastian say. His tone was…surprised? Holy shit, I shocked the man with no facial expressions.

"Yes, I like cats!" I answered loudly, groaning when one of Pluto's big paws dugs into my leg. My whole body was starting to go numb under his weight.

Sebastian clapped suddenly, the sound loud and sharp over Pluto's enthusiastic barking. Pluto's head shot up and he stared at Sebastian with those creepily similar red eyes of his. "Pluto…if you are going to be rude and sit on our newest member of the household like that," Sebastian began, staring the dog down ruthlessly. The mood in the courtyard got eerie as we all looked at Sebastian and Pluto. "At least use your lighter form."

…..huh?

Pluto gave a happy bark and nodded, and the collar around his neck started to glow. Then the rest of his body started to glow. I blinked rapidly as the glowing stopped and Pluto shrunk, and then I gaped at what was now sitting on my chest smiling at me stupidly and drooling slightly.

"WHY THE FUCK IS THERE A NAKED MAN ON ME INSTEAD OF THAT DAMNED DOG?" I screeched. For there was, instead of fluffy Pluto, a naked man with shaggy silver hair and red eyes perched on me. The only thing that was better about this situation was this guy wasn't nearly as heavy and suffocating as Pluto had been. _Wait…_ I peered at the guy's neck—he was kind of cute—and what was wrapped around it. _Why is this man wearing the same collar as Pluto had been? Please don't tell me he's a werewolf…because I honestly don't think I can handle werewolves, demon butlers, AND my current status as demon crack._

The naked man on me threw his head back and howled, and I got a glimpse of something I really didn't want to see for a couple more years. My face turned a bright red, and I weakly whimpered, "Somebody please tell me this is still a dream…" As if in an answer to my plea, the guy looked down at me and then—much to my horror—licked me all over the face, just as Pluto had done. As the slobber dripped down my face, he barked again and nuzzled his head against my chest. Er, more like my boobs, really.

And what do you know; I managed to pass out due to total humiliation. Great, my stay in London just keeps getting better and better.

**X~X~*~X~X**

My eyes shot open and I instantly bolted up in the bed I was in. For a few brief moments I hoped that my past few hours had just been a dream, but as I looked around my surroundings, I realized I was still in the Phantomhive manor. I was in Mey-Rin's bedroom (well, I guess it was mine now, too) and Sebastian was looming over me with an arrogant smirk plastered on his infuriatingly handsome face. I glared at the butler and snapped, "Did you seriously make that dog turn into a naked man on me?" I wasn't even going to waste a second grilling the bastard out on this.

"Pluto is a demon hound," Sebastian replied calmly, pretty much ignoring my question. My GOD, this guy was going to be the death of me. Before he sucks my soul out, even! "He only obeys me, a demon. I simply made a request and he followed through with it. Are you not satisfied with the way I prevented your untimely demise by suffocation?" He inquired.

Rage bubbled up in me. I wasn't normally such a hothead, but this…this…demon made me want to spit fire at little babies, the way he got my blood boiling! "You caused me to be the victim of second-degree rape, you ass!" I said through gritted teeth. "Are all demons so…" I trailed off, not knowing which word would do his kind justice.

Sebastian gave me an odd little smile, one that made me want to hide under the covers and not emerge back out until he was gone. "Why, whatever do you mean, Miss Aura? Am I really that awful? After all, I am the being who is protecting you for now. You should be more kind with your word choice."

"Shut the hell up," I growled. "…where's the stupid dog now? And why was he so friendly with me?"

"Finnian is playing with him. Pluto probably acted that way because he believed you had more food." Sebastian answered. He began to walk out of the room. "I want you to join Bardroy in the kitchen and help him prepare supper as your next task. You utterly failed at something as simple as feeding the dog, but maybe you can impress me with your culinary skills." The demon butler paused, and then said in a humored tone, "On second thought, 'impress' is too strong of a hope for you at this point."

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" I yelled, throwing a pillow at Sebastian's retreating figure. The feathery bullet of death only succeeded in hitting the wall next to the door, though. Fuming, I ripped off the blankets and stomped out of the room, ready to tackle Sebastian down and…do whatever I needed to do to make him less of a jackass. He was nowhere to be seen, however. _Damn, I guess demons can get around really fast. _I thought as I peered down the hallway. _I guess I should get to the kitchen then…wait, which way is it to the stupid kitchen again?_

"Maybe I should have been paying more attention when the idiot brigade was dragging me through the mansion," I said out loud, wondering which was I should go. "Crap. This sucks moldy Voldemort eggs. Once again…WHY COULDN'T I HAVE BEEN SUCKED INTO HARRY POTTER? It's my life's quest to hug Sirius Black…"

At least someone had managed to wash the dog slobber off my face.

I decided to just wing it and go the path that my instincts were telling me to follow. Which so happened to be right. Because it was "right". …get it? Haha, I'm a regular old riot. I belong on Comedy Central. I—crap, I'm rambling inside my head. I really need to stop doing that.

"Why the hell do Victorian mansions have to be so big?" I complained as I trekked along the millions of hallways that resided within the Phantomhive manor. "Why can't they make a compact version? Make it a whole lot easier on people like me who will get lost because they have no sense of direction." I sighed and stopped walking for a moment, wondering if I could somehow evolve into a higher being and use echolocation to find the kitchen.

No such luck. Apparently my physical being enjoyed being a regular human girl.

Oh, wait.

I'm going to be a demon's midnight power-snack soon. I guess I'm not that normal anymore.

…Woopdeeflippingdoo.

Suddenly, I heard a very loud explosion and I smelled something. Something…burning? _I don't think that's a good sign,_ I thought to myself, deciding to follow the stench of whatever was burning. It wafted through the air, leading me through the hallways and down some stairs. Finally, as I got closer to what I suspected was the source of the burning, I could detect thick black smoke billowing out into the air. The smell was also getting stronger. A few more minutes of running (because I was starting to get a bit panicked had determined that walking was not the best option) and I made it to a door that had the smoke pouring from under it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed what looked like an old-timey version of a fire extinguisher attached to the wall. I ripped it off the wall and yanked open the door with my free hand, gaping as I took in a surprising sight: the kitchen engulfed in flames. I fiddled around with the fire extinguisher and managed to get it to work, and then I sprayed it all over the kitchen to douse the rapidly burning fire.

Soon, the entire kitchen was covered in fluffy white stuff, and it looked like a cloud had thrown up in there.

I wiped the sweat off of my forehead and patted the empty fire extinguisher like a trusty sidekick. "And that, kiddies, is why you do not play with matches." On the stove was a blackened piece of…something. I was guessing that Bardroy had started to cook whatever it was and then left, which is how it exploded and started a fire.

How bad of a chef did you have to be to make something explode in a Victorian-era kitchen?

"I'm not even that much of a cook, but even I know never to leave your food alone on the stove," I muttered, looking around the kitchen in disgust. It looked awful—blackened from the fire, white from the fire extinguisher. "I bet Sebastian is gonna make me clean this up…" I paused, wondering something. "Where the hell is Bardroy anyway?"

As if I summoned him, the Phantomhive's chef popped up from the corner that I had really gone at it with the extinguisher. His hair was an afro, and he was covered in the fluffy white crap. With the white chef's apron he was wearing, he had pretty much camouflaged into the walls. I just kind of stared at him. Bardroy gave me a sheepish grin and said, "Well, hullo there Aura!"

"What were you doing?" I demanded.

"I was experimenting with different styles of cookin' methods," Bardroy hastily explained, staring at his kitchen in wonder. "I guess Chinese firecrackers are offa the list."

"You…blew up the food." I stated bluntly.

"Hell yes! Cooking is an art, and art means explosions!" Bardroy did a victorious fist pump in the air, like blowing up the kitchen was a good thing. It probably was—this place was INSANE. Demon butlers, demon dogs, and I wouldn't be surprised if Bardroy was some kind of demon fire maker or something.

"I didn't know you were a pyromaniac." I gestured to the ruined kitchen. "Who's gonna clean this up?"

"Uh…" Bardroy shrugged and got out a cigarette. "I dunno."

"You and Aura will." Sebastian stated firmly from the doorway. I spun around to find him with a worried looking Finnian and Mey-Rin. Tanaka was sitting on the floor at Sebastian's feet, drinking tea. Big surprise there.

Ciel stepped forward and groaned in exasperation. "Bardroy, how many times have we told you: dynamite is not the correct way to cook something!"

"It wasn't dynamite this time," Bardroy protested. "It was firecrackers!"

"Like that makes it any better," The young boy muttered under his breath. He turned his gaze to me. "Aura, help Bard clean this up. And be swift about it—I'm beginning to get hungry for dinner." With that, the little brat left the room without another word.

"We'll help too!" Finnian and Mey-Rin piped up. They ran out to get cleaning supplies.

"I suppose I will be in charge of the meal preparations tonight," Sebastian said to Bardroy and me. "You two just concentrate on cleaning up. Understood? It's a pity that we will have to wait until tomorrow to asses Aura's culinary skills."

"But how will you cook without a KITCHEN?" I asked, confused. I was going to ignore that last bit Sebastian said.

"Miss Aura, if you are to be working here at the manor, there are some things you must learn." Sebastian replied, giving me that rude little smirk that I hated with a burning passion. "I am simply just one hell of a butler." Then he, too, left the room.

I put it on my mental checklist to count the number of times Sebastian said that "one hell of a butler line" because I was starting to think it was his catch phrase.

I turned to Bardroy. "Well, Bard, get cleaning. It's your fault I have to help, so I'll be supervising."

Bardroy glanced at the ruined walls. "I can't do all this by myself!"

"Finny and Mey-Rin are helping, remember?"

"They'll make a bigger mess, knowing them," The chef answered. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but Finnian and Mey-Rin ran in with cleaning supplies, so he closed his mouth.

"Then maybe this will teach you to refrain from using fireworks as a means to prepare food." I pointed out. I crawled up on the table and sat there the whole time, supervising as Bardroy, Finnian, and Mey-Rin all cleaned the kitchen. It took a couple of hours (and the only accident we had was Finnian breaking the mops because of his freaky super-strength), and by the time they were done, it was dark out.

"I wonder if Sebastian has dinner ready yet," Finnian sighed. His stomach growled. "I'm so hungry…"

"I'm sure he's gotten everything ready, yes I am!" Mey-Rin clapped her hands once. "Mr. Sebastian is very handy!"

"That's wonderful. I'm going to bed now." I yawned to show them all how tired I was. "I'm not very hungry, so I'll be fine. G'night." And with that, I hopped off the table and made my way to me and Mey-Rin's room. Actually, I really was hungry, but I could wait. If Sebastian was the one who made the food…then I wasn't going to touch it. I was stilled pissed at him for making Pluto transform into a naked man on me.

Luckily, I managed to find the room all by myself without getting lost this time. I guess I was starting to get the hang of the mansion.

I stripped off the maid outfit and threw it on the floor. Rummaging through the closet, I found one of those old white nightgowns I had only seen in the movies. And my grandma's dresser. I stared at it for a bit, but then I sighed and resigned myself to put it on. "I look like an old lady now," I muttered, smoothing the material down. "Well, at least that's better than looking like a maid whore."

I crawled into the bed that was mine and snuggled under the sheets. The good thing about living in a rich little boy's mansion was that the sheets and bed were soft and plushy. I felt like I was floating on a cloud. I felt exhausted though—being unconscious two times in one day, learning my soul was a sort of demon power drink, being sexually harassed by a dog that turns into a naked man…that's a lot for a sixteen-year-old girl to handle all at once.

"I wish Zoe was here," I whispered to myself, wrapping the blankets around me. "She would know how to handle this." I thought about it for a moment. "Actually, I bet she would try to rape Sebastian. I have a feeling she's a major fangirl of his. Does she not see through his sexy face? He's an ASSHOLE who wants souls!"

I sighed and pressed my face into the pillow. It was fluffy. I liked it. "I'm just gonna forget about this and go to sleep. Maybe when I wake up, I WILL be in the hospital. Everything that just happened WILL be just a dream. I hope so."

The last thing I thought before I pretty much passed out was, _I never got my iPod or my phone from Ciel. Shit._

**The next chapter will be more fruitful, we promise. The first three were just to get Aura situated into the Phantomhive household. Please review because it makes us feel loved, and if you have any suggestions or ideas for this story that you would like to share, please don't hold back! We enjoy it when our readers give us insight on what they would like to see. ^_^**


	4. That Girl, Mischievious

**HOLY CRAP. OVER 45 REVIEWS? THAAAAAAAAAAANK YOU! *Cue the excited glomping of the two authors of this story* We love all of you for your support! :D Please enjoy chapter four! Oh, it was written on a laptop instead of a desktop computer, so that's why some of the format may be a little different from the previous chapters.**

_**Chapter Four**_

Yet again, when I woke up the next morning my mindset was that I had been knocked out in the bookstore and my little trip to nineteenth-century England was just a dream. Of course, I wasn't too surprised to open my eyes and see Mey-Rin's bespectacled face hovering over mine despite my small sliver of hope that I had just been imagining the whole "my soul is demon crack" thing.

I blinked rapidly as the ditzy woman rattled off a list of things we needed to do since it was morning and we were the maids, and if we didn't do them then Sebastian would be disappointed, and BLAH BLAH BLAH.

…Yeah. I wasn't really listening to Mey-Rin at all.

"Aura! Are you listening?" Mey-Rin shook me by the shoulders when she realized I was starting to fall back asleep. "The young master requires us to be up and dressed by eight-thirty every morning! It's EIGHT-THIRTY-TWO! WE'RE LATE, YES WE ARE!"

I groaned and mentally slapped myself in the face. How could someone yell so early in the morning…? I pushed her off of me and said, "All right, all right, I'll get ready. Go start whatever we have to do. I'll meet you."

Mey-Rin just kind of looked at me, then nodded. "All right. Meet me in the kitchen. You do know where that is, right?"

"I'm pretty sure I can find it. I mean, last night I saved it from sure destruction." I answered as I slid out of my bed and went to the clothes drawer that was now mine. Opening it up, I missed the familiar array of graphic t-shirts I had at home. My Invader Zim collection would be really nice right about now…

"Yes you did!" The maid replied happily. "Make sure you're down there before the young master finds out you overslept, okay?" When I waved my hand vaguely at her, she took that as a "yes" and bounced out of the room, humming a tune that sounded almost like "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence.

…_I'm not going to dwell on the weirdness of that._

When I was certain Mey-Rin was gone, I considered the option of crawling back into the bed and going back to sleep. But then an image of Sebastian throwing a naked human Pluto at my sleeping form flashed into my mind, and I opted it out. After my scarring day yesterday, I really wasn't in the mood to invoke Sebastian's wrath. Sighing, I took out my new arch-nemesis - the maid outfit - and stared at it. I wonder if Ciel and Sebastian would mind it if I made some more modern adjustments to the dress? Like…add some purple skulls on it. Or maybe a silver cross on the back studded with fake diamonds piss them off.

I quickly got dressed and cleaned up in the small bathroom Mey-Rin and I shared. This time I kept my hair down, making damn sure that the badass silver streak was there for all to see. I hoped it annoyed Sebastian; I needed to find a way to get back at him for setting a naked demon hound on me.

When I was all set for the day, I walked out of the room and wondered which way it was to the kitchen. I didn't really remember; yesterday I had only been able to find it because of the smoke. I frowned and thought, _Where the hell do I go again…? Crap. I need to get a floor plan of this frigging place, I can't afford to keep getting lost! That's another thing Sebastian will tease me about, next to my failure with Pluto and the kitchen fire last night…_

I suddenly remembered that I had not eaten anything since yesterday morning. My stomach seemed to remember that as soon as my brain did, because it began to growl hungrily. "I wonder if they have a 'Ye Olde Denny's' around here," I said out loud as I began to walk in a general direction. Sooner or later I'd find someone to guide me back to the kitchen. "I could really go for a Grand Slamwich right now…"

I don't really know how long I was walking through the seemingly endless hallways of the Phantomhive manor, but just when I was about to proclaim my situation dire and hopeless, I heard a couple of familiar voices from one of the doors I had just passed. Stopping in my tracks, I crept back to the door and positioned myself flat against the wall next to it. That "Secret Agent Man" theme song thingy popped into my head as I strained to hear what was being said.

"How long do you think it will take for other demons to come after her, Sebastian?"

"Not very long, Bocchan. The scent of her soul is…quite appetizing. It is similar to yours, to be honest. The only difference is that hers is more…alluring."

Oh my God. Sebastian and Ciel were talking about me and my amazing all-powerful soul.

"That is slightly creepy, Sebastian." Ciel deadpanned. There was a pause and I heard the sound of a pen scribbling on paper. "I have a job for you," Ciel said after the pen-on-paper sound ceased. "Take this to the post office. And then go buy ingredients for tonight's supper; we're entertaining guests this evening."

"Of course, Bocchan." I could just imagine the exaggerated bow Sebastian was doing right now. And seriously, I really want to know just what the hell "Bocchan" means. There was an amused chuckle from the demon butler, and he raised his voice. "Oh, and Miss Aura? You can stop eavesdropping, now." I stiffened and flattened myself against the wall more. The door knob turned and with a creak, the door swung open. Sebastian stepped out in all his demonic glory.

"Y-you knew I was here the whole time?" I stammered.

"Of course. If I couldn't sense an eavesdropping employee, then…what kind of Phantomhive butler would I be?" Sebastian inquired elegantly. At least he didn't use his "one hell of a butler" line.

I crossed my arms and glared at him. "A normal one who didn't emerge from the fiery pits of hell?"

Ciel coughed from behind Sebastian before his butler could retort. "Actually, if you were listening, then this makes this easier. Go with Sebastian and assist him with his errands, Aura. That is an order," The brat added, glaring at me with his single eye when I opened my mouth to say something snappish.

"Oh hell no," I said it anyway, despite Ciel's slightly terrifying glare. He must have learned it from Sebastian or something. "You couldn't pay me to go spend a few hours alone with this bastard!" I jabbed a finger at Sebastian. "Besides, I don't have to obey orders from the likes of YOU. I'm not one of your brainless lackeys; I'm here because I HAVE to be, not because I WANT to."

"I'll return the strange little devices we found on you."

I raised an eyebrow at Ciel's proposition. "By 'strange little devices' do you mean my iPod and my cell phone?"

"Is that what you call them?" Ciel dug into his pockets and held his hand out. Nestled inside his little hands were my babies: my trusty purple iPod Nano and my state-of-the-art BlackBerry.

I gave a happy squeal and snatched them out of his hands. "My precious," I cooed, rubbing them against my cheek. "I'll never let you out of my sight again."

"Does that mean we have a deal?" Ciel asked, smirking a little. Oh look, he has the same smug expression as Sebastian does. I bet Ciel really did learn it from his butler. "Because if we don't…I'll need those curious things back." Hey, wait a minute…The little prick just manipulated me, didn't he?

I glowered at the young earl and the demon butler who was smirking as well. "…fine. If it's for my stuff, I'll do it."

"I was under the impression you could not be paid to be my companion," Sebastian pointed out smugly.

"I was not paid," I snapped. "It was a TRADE. There's a distinct difference."

"If you say so," Sebastian replied in a humored tone. He turned his attention to Ciel and bowed - what a big surprise - in a low gesture. "I shall make sure we return in time to prepare supper. Might I ask who we are entertaining tonight, Bocchan?"

"A potential investor in the Funtom company," Ciel said. "He is from America, and would like to head the branch of the company there if I decide to open up one in America. Make sure you think of something that will make an impression on the man - you know how I hate to be called second rate."

"I promise that everything shall be to the peak of perfection for tonight's meeting with the American," Sebastian swore. His burgundy eyes slid to me. "Come along now, Miss Aura. I have to secure the other servants' minds on this; knowing them, if I am not here all day, they will make a mess of things. I must ensure that they will at least ATTEMPT to stay out of trouble until I get back." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "It's so difficult getting truly good help these days."

"Why don't you guys just hire new employees if the current ones are so crappy?" I suggested as Sebastian and I walked to the kitchen. (See, I told you I would find someway to get there.)

"Perhaps," Sebastian mused. "To be completely truthful, however, the young master would be…for lack of a better term…distraught if we fired the current servants. He tries to keep it hidden, but he is really quite a noble lad with a good heart. A pure soul…" I flinched when Sebastian licked his lips and gave a little smirk. "I assume you heard the young master and me discussing the subject of YOUR soul, didn't you?"

I realized I had been kind of staring at Sebastian's face as he was doing his whole spiel about the servants (was it just me, or was he starting to look kind of…sexy to me? NO, THAT CAN'T HAPPEN. I WON'T LET MY MIND THINK SUCH HORRID THOUGHTS.) and I quickly stared straight ahead. "Yeah. Just a little bit though. What did you mean about my soul having a smell?"

"Exactly what I said. For demons, souls have different scents that tell us the condition of them." Sebastian explained. "For Ciel Phantomhive, his soul's aroma alerts a nearby demon of purity that is normally very appetizing. However, since I have become his butler…the scent will have been changed for other demons."

"How can a little brat like that have a 'pure' soul?" I huffed. "He's such a little prick! Hey, how did you two even meet each other anyway? I can't imagine it was just a chance meeting on the street and Ciel decided to give his soul up to you."

Sebastian stared at me with a stony gaze, his eyes going that weird bright pinkish-red with the cat pupils. "That story if for the young master to tell you, not I."

His steely tone gave me chills. When he wanted to be scary, he sure as hell amped it up about ten times that was needed. Asshole. I anxiously rubbed my hands together and muttered, "So…um…what do I smell like?"

"If I were to describe it to you, I have a feeling you would cower in fear and stay away from me." Sebastian answered cheerfully, reverting back to his "holier-than-thou" personality rather than the scary-ass demonic one that I had just encountered. Although…I had a feeling he could be more terrifying than what I had just seen.

"…okay then." I blinked in utter confusion. Now I REALLY wanted to know what my soul smelled like. Was it bad or something? Stupid demon butler.

When we got to the kitchen, I was somewhat surprised to see the entire staff already in there. Bardroy was cooking what looked like eggs on the stove (and not burning them luckily), Finnian was sitting at the table looking hungry, Mey-Rin was dusting off the counter and Tanaka was (NO SURPRISE HERE) sitting on his cushion drinking his tea. Mey-Rin flipped out because she saw that Sebastian and I had entered together. "Oh no, no, no!" She fretted, hopping about. "Aura, did Mr. Sebastian yell at you for being late? I told you, yes I did, not to dillydally!"

"It's okay," I told her in an exasperated tone. "I didn't get in trouble. I just bumped into Sebastian in the hallway." I rolled my eyes.

"Mey-Rin, Finny, Bard, and Tanaka." Sebastian began in a serious voice that meant business. All at once, the four mentioned stood up - not counting Tanaka, really - and looked attentive. "Miss Aura and I are off to run some errands into town. You all make sure that Master Ciel is well provisioned until we get back. Do NOT burn the manor down," - this was directly to Bardroy - "And please try to refrain from any shenanigans. Finny, I want you to keep Pluto preoccupied all day. Mey-Rin, I don't want you doing any cleaning until Aura and I return. Bardroy, do NOT attempt to cook anything unless you're being supervised. And Tanaka," Sebastian looked at the small old man, who was chuckling weakly and drinking his tea. "Drink your tea."

"You got it, Sebastian!" They all yelled, saluting the black-clad butler.

"Hey Bard, can I have some of that?" I asked before Sebastian and I left, pointing to what I hoped was scrambled eggs in the skillet. "I'm REALLY hungry."

"Sure," Bardroy took the pan off the stove and poured the entire contents onto a plate. "You want the whole thing?" He asked when my stomach grumbled very loudly at the sight of it.

"…yes." I took the plate and a fork and looked at Sebastian. "I'm ready to go!"

"You honestly aren't thinking of taking that with us, are you?" Sebastian said in a scrutinizing tone.

"…maybe…"

"Just eat it quickly here; it's against my policy as a Phantomhive butler to bring food into the carriage." Sebastian replied stiffly.

"We're riding in a carriage? A LEGIT CARRIAGE?" I felt really excited - I had never ridden in one before!

"Of course we are. What kind of respectable people would we be if we did not traverse by means of carriage?" Sebastian asked.

"Aura, do you not have carriages in America?" Mey-Rin asked.

"Uh…not that I know of."

"How do you get around?" Finnian looked shocked. "Do you…walk all the time?"

"We have ca-" I cut myself off, remembering that the only cars in this time period were probably those really crappy old ones that had just been made. Thinking of another answer, I said, "We have carriages in America, I just remembered! But where I live, they're not very popular. We get by on horses or just walking. And yes, I come from a poor background," I added when Bardroy and Finnian opened their mouths to ask me something else. They shut them, and I knew that they were going to ask me if I was poor.

"Not that this conversation isn't scintillating," Sebastian interrupted as I began to shove eggs into my mouth. Oh God, where they good on an empty stomach. "But Aura and I really must get going. Keep in mind what I have asked of all of you. Come along, Aura." He grabbed my arm and led me out the kitchen door without another word.

…but I didn't get to finish my eggs…

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Oh wow," I said, staring out of the carriage window as we trotted along. "The trees are so pretty…and I feel like I've gone back in time, with all these Victorian-style houses…oh wait, I guess I have." I laughed nervously, angry with myself that I made yet another stupid remark in front of Sebastian. We were almost to inner London, and I was getting really excited to see it in all its old-time glory.

"When we disembark from the carriage, be sure to stay at my side at all times," Sebastian ignored my retard moment. "It would be a pity if the girl I worked so hard to secure got lost and kidnapped by some nefarious criminals.

"Wow, Sebastian. I didn't know you cared for me. Let me put this on my calendar: 'the day Sebastian Michaelis professed his undying love and devotion to a silly little commoner like me'." I grinned when the demon butler glared at me with annoyed eyes. My plans to annoy the hell out of him were slowly being set in motion.

"I care for the safety of your soul only, Aura. If you were not something that could give me great strength, I would treat you with the same indifference I do other humans." Sebastian remarked.

"Oh, so now I've been demoted to being 'something' have I?" I snapped. "Why not 'someone' instead?"

"This is why humans are so tiresome," Sebastian sighed, running a gloved hand through his messy black hair. "They have to complain at EVERYTHING."

"At least I don't have eyes that look like I'm infected with conjunctivitis." I shot back.

"And what, pray tell, do you mean by that?" Sebastian asked, raising a perfect - wait, I did NOT just describe it like that - eyebrow inquisitively. He leaned forward a bit in the seat across from me so that his hand was almost resting on my leg.

I instantly scooted back father on my seat and made the sign against evil towards him. "Back, foul beast! Back, I say! I shall dispel you to the evil pit of hell from whence you emerged from, disgusting spawn on the devil!"

"That was just rude and uncalled for." Sebastian deadpanned.

I noticed with a gleeful little grin that his face was twitching with suppressed emotion. "Hey, I was raised Catholic - you can't expect me to cavort with demons like we're buddy-buddy, now do you?" I adopted an exaggerated worshipful tone and clasped my hands as if in prayer. "I must exorcise this offense to the almighty Lord before he corrupts me!"

Sebastian looked like he was about to retort when a surprised yell from outside the carriage interrupted us, and the moving vehicle ceased abruptly. There was a thump and some terrified whinnies from the horses, and then the carriage jerked forward a bit and began to move smoothly once more. The demon butler in front of me smiled pleasantly. "Aha. It appears we have company. Miss Aura, I suggest staying in the carriage; we do not want you getting injured, do we?" He opened the carriage door and stepped outside.

_What the hell is going on?_ I wondered, straining to see what was going on outside. There was a gleeful cry in a high-pitched male voice of "MY DEAR BASSY!" and I saw Sebastian backing away from the front of the carriage with a disgusting expression gracing his features.

Then the most interesting person I have ever seen stepped into my line of sight: he (well, I'm pretty sure it was a he from the voice, but the way he looked and walked was pretty damn feminine) had long bright red hair and wore a matching crimson coat. He had high heeled boots on and glasses with a neck chain that was adorned with skulls, and his eyes were a creepy bright yellow eyes framed with impossibly long eyelashes.

"Grell…what is the meaning of assaulting our carriage?" I heard Sebastian demand angrily.

"I wanted to see you, silly!" The man - Grell - squealed in delight. "That cold-hearted Will has been making sure I get all the overtime lately in response to that little…incident." The way he said "incident" made me think that Sebastian knew what this freak was talking about. "Because of that, I haven't been able to see your darling face for awhile!" Grell clapped his hands together and ogled at Sebastian with bashful eyes.

"Get out of my sight, you disgusting cretin. I should make you drive our carriage in compensation for knocking out our driver." Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the red-clad man.

"You're so handsome when you're angry!" Grell cooed, advancing forward a bit. He looked around and grinned, showing freakishly sharp teeth that reminded me of a shark. "And the little boy's not here with you today…that means I might have more of a chance to drag you off!"

Sebastian's eye twitched. "Go. Away." He stated very calmly, but there was a hint of bottled up rage masked beneath his tranquil façade.

Wait…was this Grell guy gay for Sebastian or something? I think he was! And Sebastian obviously hated him with a burning passion…this could be to my advantage. Commencing Operation: Piss Off Sebastian, Part Two!

I opened the carriage door and fanned myself, feigning an innocent and worried expression. Adopting the tone of a British noble lady (or what my version of that was) I said, "Sebastian, dearest, what on earth is going on? Have we been attacked by ruffians? Get rid of them! I've been looking forward to our one month anniversary dinner for a whole month, I'd hate to see it ruined by some brute." I folded my hands in front of my lap and looked at Sebastian with what I hoped were smoldering eyes of love.

I probably looked like I had indigestion problems, actually.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes and gave me a slight "WTF ARE YOU DOING YOU FUCKING RETARD" and said, "Aura, I told you to stay in the carriage."

"I know, but it was so positively boooooriiiiiing," I pouted. "I'd much rather be close to you, my love."

"…Sebas-chan? WHO IS THIS WHORE?" Grell demanded, shaking Sebastian by the shoulders. "I don't recall giving you permission to cheat on me! WITH A WOMAN, NO LESS!"

"I am Sebastian's lover," I retorted, glaring in a way I hoped was convincing. God, I should take acting classes. "We're going to be married soon. And who are you, may I be so bold to ask?"

Grell's face turned from it's abnormally paleness to a bright red that matched his hair. He twitched once, twice, and then…

All hell broke loose.

And no, that was not a pun.

…Okay, maybe it was. But just a little.

**HAH. WE LOVE GRELL. HE'S AWESOMESAUCE TOPPED WITH KEWLIO-SPRINKLES.**

**Review please~!**

**Next chapter is going to be full of laughs and more of Aura's attempts to annoyed the hell out of Sebastian. And more Grell. Because we love him so. ^-^**


	5. That Girl, Cunning

**Sebastian: I am here to do the intro for chapter five because Yuki and Hannah are passed out from all the joyful screaming they did when they saw they have 70 reviews. Please enjoy this chapter, and thank you for supporting it so far. ...even though I am being mentally tortured by a snotty teenage brat.**

**Aura: HEY! I HEARD THAT, YOU BASTARD!**

**Hannah: Hai... My name's Hannah.**

**Yuki: My name is Jeff~!**

**Sebastian: *has a WTF face* ...all right, they're up now.**

**Hannah: I like David Bowie... I'm wearing a David Bowie shirt right now. lol, I'm a dweeb.**

**_Chapter Five_**

Grell whipped out two little scissors - which kind of looked like the ones my uncle Ralph uses to snip his nose hair off - and pointed them at me, a deranged look plastered on his slightly creepy face. "I'm gonna cut you to shreds, bitch!" He snarled, leaping at me with the scissors pointed at my heart.

_SHIT! _I gave an uncharacteristically girly yelp and threw myself to the side, watching as Grell slashed his midget scissors at empty air where I had once been. "You missed," I taunted, smirking at the red-haired man.

Steam literally came out of his ears as he fumed. Grell growled like some terrifying monster and pointed his weapons at me. "I'll cut out your heart and watch your miserable life flash before your eyes! You don't deserve to be near my dear Bassy!"

I whipped my head at Sebastian, who was watching the whole thing with an uninterested look. "Aren't you going to - oh, I don't know - KEEP ME FROM DYING?" I demanded. I mean, the asshole's whole purpose for keeping here was to make sure I was "safe." Obviously, Sebastian really didn't care what happened to my awesome demon crack soul or he was just deciding to be his normal dick head self.

"Perhaps," Sebastian replied, giving a bored yawned. "I will. When you're in enough danger."

"AS IF AN INSANE GAY GUY TRYING TO STAB ME WITH SEWING SHEARS ISN'T DANGEROUS ENOUGH?" I shrieked, running from Grell as he screamed profanities and threats as he chased me with his scissors.

"Yes."

"I HOPE YOU KNOW I DESPISE YOUR ENTIRE BEING, YOU PILE OF DOBBY'S SOCKS!"

Grell suddenly stopped chasing me. He blinked in confusion and asked, "Wait...you hate Sebas-chan? But...I thought you were...together?"

"I was lying to piss Sebastian off," I explained, panting from the exertion I had just put out from running around in a circle. "I actually hate this bastard's guts." Suddenly, I got yet another brilliant idea in terms of continuing with my campaign to annoy the hell out of Sebastian. Sidling up to Grell, I cooed, "Saaaaay, Grell...you like Sebastian, right?"

"Of course I do!" Grell proclaimed, a passionate and fiery gaze in his yellow eyes. "I would bear his children if I could!"

"Not this again," Sebastian muttered, looking like he was desperately trying to resist the urge to destroy Grell.

I took Grell's hands (but I made sure I yanked his scissors out of them first) and looked deeply into his eyes, noticing with a slightly creeped out thought that the background around us had suddenly changed to be all pink and sparkly, with roses all around. "Then I pledge to assist you in anyway possible in your quest to win Sebastian's fickle heart. I swear it shall happen, or else my name isn't Aura Monray!"

"You mean it?" Grell asked, his eyes welling up with tears. "You really mean it? You'll help Sebastian fall in love with me?"

"Hells yeah!" I nodded. "I'll be your best friend, treat you like a human being, and give you lots of gifts too!"

Grell broke down into very emotional sobs, hugging me so hard I could barely breathe. "I LOVE YOU!" He cried, rubbing his cheek against mine. "Well, not as much as I love my dearest Bassy, but it's still a lot."

"I love you too, Grell." I patted his head in a maternal way. Now please let go of me, because you're kind of suffocating me and I can't help you and Sebastian become one if I'm dead." I squirmed in his arms uselessly - for a prissy gay guy, he sure had a strong grip.

Grell let go of me. "Oh, thank you Aura darling!" He gushed, holding his cheeks that were turning a bright shade of pink. "I shall hold you to your promise!" Grell turned his gaze to Sebastian, who was just kind of staring at us with wide eyes. Ha, evidently he wasn't expecting such an odd turn of events. "Sebas-chan, until next time! I will be dreaming of our sweet embrace, my love. Adieu~!" He blew Sebastian a kiss (which turned into a heart and hit the demon butler in the cheek...that was weird...) and hopped into the trees waving goodbye.

I turned to Sebastian and happily said, "That went well, don't you think?"

"If it weren't for your soul, you would be under that carriage and I would be running over you with the horses right now." Sebastian glared at me, his eyes a bright pink. I could literally see the pissed-off aura that was waving about him. Hahaha, I can see auras and my name is Aura...that's epic.

"That's what you get for throwing a naked demon dog on me~!" I sang, trying to ignore Sebastian's "LOL I'MMA KEEL YOOZ BITCH" face he was giving me right now. Considering the fact that he was a scary ass demon, I think I was doing pretty well.

"You're STILL angry over that little debacle?" Sebastian asked, going to check the driver that Grell had knocked out in order to get his attention. "My, my, my. Human females certainly do hold grudges for a long time, don't they?"

"You won't be smirking like that when I help Grell drag you into a secluded room to do bad things to you," I muttered, patting the horses on their soft noses. I like horses. But not as much as cats. I wonder if the Phantomhive manor has a demon cat...? I'd like that, probably. Raising my voice, I asked, "Who is Grell, anyway?"

"He's a grim reaper," Sebastian answered, picking up the unconscious carriage driver and setting him against the seat in a more comfortable position. "I guess I'll have to drive this now," He muttered. Looking down at me, he continued, "Grell Sutcliff was actually a serial killer known as 'Jack the Ripper' and he killed young master Ciel's Aunt Red."

"W-wait...THE Jack the Ripper? The guy who they never caught, the guy who cut the pussies and boobs off of whores?" I stared at Sebastian in shock, pretty much ignoring the fact that he had just told me the Grim Reaper was a gay guy who had a scissor fetish and focusing on the Jack the Ripper bit.0 (Sebastian, in turn, stared at me in shock as well, probably horrified at my lewd choice of words. Prude.) "OH MY GOD, I MET A FAMOUS MURDERER! That's awesome! I've always been fascinated by that case ever since I was little. I freakin' love this Grell guy!"

"Then maybe you're the one he should be dreaming of embracing." Came Sebastian's grudging answer. Awww, I think I made the little demon butler mad! "It's obvious that you would most likely return the sentiment."

"You're just envious of my extreme sexiness," I replied with a smirk.

"Get in the carriage, Aura." Sebastian glared at me, taking his seat at the reins. "If we dillydally any longer, we will be late and the young master will be quite irate."

"And it would be a crime to keep dearest Ciel waiting." I said sarcastically. When Sebastian's glare turned more scary than it had before, I resisted the urge to whimper and hide from him. Instead, I muttered, "Fine, I'm getting into the fucking carriage."

"As a Phantomhive servant, that language will not be tolerated." Sebastian said as I crawled into the carriage and shut the door so I wouldn't have to listen to his constant reprimanding of my language and whatnot. I sat down and was jolted as the carriage started back up, and once again I resulted into staring out the window for entertainment. I was a bit sad that Sebastian wasn't in the carriage compartment this time around, because before Grell interrupted our ride I had been enjoying insulting him and stuff.

"At least now I get to see old time London," I mused happily. "I wonder if I'll meet Charles Dickens...oh wait, I think he's dead by now. If he is, then I want to meet that guy who makes Sherlock Holmes - I don't think HE'S dead yet."

And so I waited patiently as the carriage reached London.

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Whoa...There's so many people..." I looked around in amazement. "And they're all wearing fancy-ish clothes and stuff!" Sebastian and I were now in the city to finally do the errands Ciel had sent us on, and I have to admit - Victorian era London is AWESOME.

"What do you expect? We're British." Sebastian answered.

"You're just screwing with me, aren't you?"

"Pretty much."

"You're an asshole."

"Aura," Sebastian sighed in exasperation. "Just stay close to me at all times, don't make any messes, and for once just don't annoy me." He started to walk towards a building with a sign that read "Groceries."

"You want me to stay close to you?" I squealed. "That's so chivalrous of you, Sebas-chan!" I grinned as I used the nickname Grell had called Sebastian.

Sebastian twitched and stopped right in front of the door. "Do NOT refer to me as that...that...ABOMINATION calls me." He said, slowly turning around to glare at me with his scary-ass demon eyes. Oh look, they're all pink and kitty-cat like again.

"You should really get treated for conjunctivitis before you infect the whole household." I pointed to his eyes.

"..." Sebastian merely turned back around and entered the grocery store, much to my sorrow. It wasn't fun when he wasn't responding to my awesomeness of doom. I sighed and followed Sebastian inside, watching as he went over to the vegetables and started to inspect them and stuff.

_Blargh. This is boring. _I leaned against a crate full of apples and started to hum the TiK ToK parody by the Midnight Beast, taping my fingers on the crate to the rhythm. "_I'm mad, really bad, but don't tell my mum and dad. __Pucker up, kiss my butt, Cuz I'm bloody fucking nuts. Hear the bass, skinny waist Now let's copy Pokerface like, Woah Woah oh oh, Woah Woah oh oh. I'm mad, really bad, but don't tell my mum and dad. Pucker up, kiss the nut, Cuz it sells to be a slut. Hear the bass, skinny waist. Now let's copy Pokerface like, Woah Woah oh oh, Woah Woah oh oh..."_

"What on earth are you singing?" Sebastian asked, giving me a weird look.

"A funny song where a bunch of British teens are making fun of a popular pop song about clocks." I summed up, even though that wasn't entirely true. Oh well, like Sebastian would know.

"Keep it down. You're attracting unwanted attention." Sebastian ordered, going back to his vegetables. Fruits are better, you fruit racist.

"You're attracting your mom!" I shot back. "By the way, she has ass cancer!" I have to admit, that was probably one of my best comebacks ever. I'll have to add that to my list of keepers. God, why am I so brilliant at this? I love it! I wish I had a video camera so I could tape all of this and put it on YouTube. the title would probably be something like _"Magical Demon Crack Girl PWNTS A Demon"_ or something.

"What in the devil is wrong with you?" The demon butler really looked like he wanted to kill me in all his slightly black-clad emo glory. People were starting to stare now.

"A lot of things, my dearest Bassy. And I blame them all on you. Even when they aren't your fault."

"Sir, control your daughter!" The grocery store owner commanded harshly in a reprimanding tone. He looked like my grandpa in a way. If my grandpa dressed like a character from Sherlock Holmes and had a flippin' sweet British accent. "She's disrupting my customers!"

"She's not my daughter," Sebastian replied to the man, trying to retain his dignified composture that was most likely required of a Phantomhive butler. "Iif she was, I would have disowned here at the age of three."

"That's a bit harsh," I pouted. "You would have left me all alone in the world with no mummy or dadsy to protect, cuddle, and 'wuv' me forever and ever?" I gave the obviously very furious and irate man the best "wounded puppy" look I could muster.

"Go wait in the carriage if you can't behave yourself and act like a civilized individual, Aura!" Sebastian snapped, pointing to the door with a slightly humiliated look on his face. ...somehow it made him look sexy...holy freedom fries, did I really just narrarate that out loud? What is wrong with me? SEBASTIAN MICHAELIS IS NOT SEXY, NO MATTER HOW SEXY HIS SEXY FACE IS - Expecto Patronads. I did it again. Damn.

And that is how I found myself sitting in a carriage all by myself fuming and having a mental battle discussing the prospect of Sebastian's possible hotness.

**X~X~*~X~X**

After that little incident where I had been banished to the carriage for the rest of the errands, Sebastian and I arrived back at the Phantomhive manor with the needed supplies to make dinner for Ciel and his business guest. Like the other servants, however, I was told to stay out of Sebastian's way while he prepared everything without any help. And these idiots don't even suspect that Sebastian is more than just one hell of a butler, despite the fact that he could practically do the impossible.

"I'm bored." I stated as I sat in the front yard and watched Finnian being happily chased by Pluto (WHO COULD FREAKING BREATHE FIRE). "Why won't Sebastian let us help?"

"Because he's afraid we'll mess everythin' up," Bardroy answered, taking another drag on his cigarette. He leaned against the stairs with a bored expression on his face. "I don't really blame the man. We can be a a bit of a handful."

"Mister Sebastian just wants to make sure nothing is spoiled, yes he does!" Mey-Rin gushed. You know, I bet she was related to Grell. They both had red hair, were obviously in love with Sebastian, and they both wore glasses. Family resemblance, anyone?

_Sure, let's go with that. And not the reason that he probably hates all of us because we're worthless humans. _I groaned and laid against the cool grass, staring at the puffy white clouds that were floating against a bright blue sky. "Does anyone know what this guy's name is that's coming to the mansion?"

"I believe his name is Timothy Cullen," My head snapped around to the unfamiliar voice that had just answered my question. An old distinguished man with a black suit was standing where Tanaka had been sitting only moments earlier. "He is an extremely successful business man from New York."

"The real Tanaka's back!" Finnian ran over when he saw who had just appeared like magic.

"Wait, what?" I was so confused. THIS guy was the legit Tanaka?

"However, there are rumors floating around of him being a bit of a...womanizer. A dangerous one. He's had four wives within twelve years, and each one has ended up dead due to some horrific accident." Tanaka suddenly gave me a knowing wink and then he...popped. No, you didn't mishear me; the old fart actually popped and minimized back into his little midget tea addict.

_...was he trying to tell me __something? _I wondered. _Timothy Cullen...never heard of him. Oh my God, is he related to Edward Cullen? Please don't let that be so...I hate that Twilight crap._

"Aw, he lasted even shorter than usual. Must be the impending winter coming," Mey-Rin said.

Suddenly a sound of an approaching horse-drawn carriage alerted our attention. Sure enough, a fancy-ish carriage came into view and down the Phantomhive driveway. Finnian had to go hide Pluto (because, really, who WOULDN'T question the presence of a giant-ass dog that acted like he ate too many jalapenos?) so the rest of us just kind of stood there and waited for the carriage to approach us. When it did, a pretty lady stepped out of it and held the door open. She had curly black hair, pale skin, and piercing amber eyes. She wore a pale cream-colored dress that kind of looked like me and Mey-Rin's maid outfits, only it was WAAAAY cooler. As soon as she held the door open, a tall imposing man stepped down and began to walk towards us. He was handsome in a George Clooney sort of way. He had soft brown hair with a few streaks of grey, and he looked like he was in his mid-forties. He also wore a fancy-schmancy suit and tie that reminded me of a lawyer's.

"Is this the home of the Earl Phamtomhive?" He asked us. He had a light Boston accent.

"Yeah," Bardroy answered. I noticed he was paying attention to the hot chick who was hovering behind the guy who had just arrived. "And who're you?"

"This is Timothy Cullen," The pretty lady spoke in a soft voice with an accent I couldn't put my finger on. French? No...not exactly...maybe she was French-Canadian. "And I am his maid, Isolde Elrich." She bowed low. That name sure as hell didn't sound French. Or Canadian.

"Oh, y-you're Mr. Cullen?" Mey-Rin stuttered. "We weren't expecting y-you until six o'clock!" It was about three right now; why were this guys so early?

"Yes, well, our ship arrived more quickly than we thought." Timothy Cullen grunted. He inspected each of us with his eyes, and when he turned on me, well...I had a creepy feeling he was undressing me in his mind. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the pervert with a look that said "BACK OFF, DICKHEAD." Timothy coughed into his hand. "And the Earl assured us it wouldn't be a problem if we arrived a bit early - he said in his letter that everything would be taken care of."

"Of course it's not a problem." Ciel said from behind us. We all turned our heads to see the little brat walking down the steps to meet us. "Hello, Mr. Cullen. It is a pleasure to meet you at last. I trust your traveling accommodations were to your satisfaction?" I had to admit, the kid was good. He was putting on the cutest "I mean business, sir" face I had ever seen, and I resisted the urge to squeal like an idiot and stick him in a dress. _Now why did I just think that? A DRESS?_

Obviously this Cullen guy had been expecting Ciel Phantomhive to be a little shrimp - he didn't look surprised at all. "Yes, it was. No problems whatsoever. Are you sure it isn't an inconvenience for us to be so early?"

"Not at all," Ciel shook his head. "My butler is just putting the finishing touches on tonight's dinner. We can have it earlier than planned if you would like."

"I would appreciate that," Cullen nodded. "I'm starving. Oh, you have our rooms ready, right?" He snapped his fingers and the maid girl - Isolde - rushed into the carriage and brought back two suitcases. "I have more bags, of course. Would your servants be willing to help my dearest Izzy carry them to my quarters?"

"I'm sure they would," Ciel gave me, Mey-Rin, Bardroy, and Finnian (who had just returned from hiding Pluto) meaningful looks. "In the meantime, you may come with me, Mr. Cullen. We have a lot to discuss before supper is entirely finished, and I'm not the type of man to put business matters aside until the last minute."

"You're not a man at all, brat," I heard Cullen mutter as he brushed past me. It was so quiet, if I hadn't been intentionally listening to him I wouldn't have heard it. The older man's hand rubbed against my butt when he walked by, and he looked down at me. "Oh, terribly sorry, miss!" He apologized flatly. "I didn't mean to be so rude as to barrel down a beautiful lady such as yourself."

This guy disgusted me. He had "creepy pedophile rapist man" written all over him. "Yeah, I'm sorry you did that, too!" I snapped as I rushed to get to the carriage to help everyone with the asshole's bags.

"You've employed an American?" I heard Cullen's surprised inquiry to Ciel loud and clear. I didn't tune in to hear what Ciel's response was. I preferred stewing in my new hatred of Timothy Cullen.

He was worse than Sebastian, if possible! At least he didn't leer at me with obvious sexual intent like this bastard did. I would have preferred Sebastian's insulting demeanor to Ciel's new business buddy's pervertedness any day of the week.

Maybe the demon butler's growing on me?

...naaaaah. I just hate perverted old men, that's all.

"You're American as well as my master?" Isolde asked me as I took a suitcase from the carriage. It was freaking heavy. What did this guy carry with him for shit's sake; his entire collection of Creeper of the Year trophies?

I nodded. "Yeah. Just started working here, actually."

"That's interesting." Isolde's eyes shone with something I couldn't distinguish. She leaned in close to me and took a big sniff. "You smell quite enticing. May I ask what perfume you use?"

I scooted away a little bit from the black-haired woman. She was invading my bubble. I did not like that. "Uh...soap?"

Isolde laughed, an amused girly giggle. "You're very funny, young lady. What's your name?"

"Aura Monray."

"That's...a fascinating name." _Did I just imagine it, or...did her eyes go all cat-like for a moment? Like Sebastian's when he's pissed at me? ...I have a bad feeling about these people... _"It sounds French."

"My dad's grandpa was from France," I told her. We were now walking up the steps of the mansion, Bardroy leading the way. Apparently he knew where Timothy Cullen was staying. I didn't even KNOW he was staying. Ciel's such a nice boss to let me in on this. "My mom's family is mostly German, though."

"That sounds about right." Isolde mused. _WHAT THE HELL? My horror movie plot meter is off the charts right now!_

"Where are you from, Miss Isolde?" Finnian asked. He was carrying almost all the suitcases. I made it a mental note to ask if he was just born with that super strength of his or something.

"Everywhere," Was the maid's mysterious answer. "Everywhere and anywhere."

_This is going to be a looooong dinner._

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Dinner is served, Bocchan," Sebastian bowed elegantly, a white towel draped across his right arm. On the table were plate after plate of amazing looking food, all involving some sort of red meat. I guess other countries really did stereotype us Americans for having a fondness for meaty goodness. Isolde was standing right behind her master's chair, looking like an obedient little maid girl. Timothy Cullen gaped in shock at the plethora of exquisite food before him, but Ciel looked bored as always. "If you need anything else, let me know." He gestured to me, Finnian, Bardroy, and Mey-Rin to join him in the kitchen. When we were all in, he told us, "I only want you out there when it is needed. This is a very important business meeting for the Funtom Toy Company."

"What, and you think we're gonna fuck it up?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Language, Aura." Sebastian gave me a piercing glare. I just stuck my tongue out at him. "And yes, I do believe you may possibly make a grave mistake in something, even if you are just attempting to be helpful."

"We won't disappoint you, Sebastian!" Mey-Rin swore. "No we won't!"

"Good. I will be waiting in the dining room; you all stay in here." Sebastian walked back out to oversee Ciel and Pervy Business Man and their wonderful dinner-meeting thingy of doom.

"I'm going to go to our room." I told Mey-Rin when Sebastian had left. There was another door I could use so I wouldn't have to go through the dining room and invoke Sebastian's wrath. "I highly doubt Mr. Miracle Worker will miss my presence."

"But Aura, Sebastian told us to stay in the kitchen!" Finnian argued, his baby blue eyes wide.

"He's not my mom. I don't have to listen to him." I pointed out.

"He's gonna get pretty damn pissed at you if you don't do what he says," Bardroy taunted.

"Ho...ho...ho...ho." Tanaka added.

"Then start planning my funeral, okay? I'd like the theme to be 'I'm Awesome' and I'd like pictures of my beautiful face adorning wherever the funeral will be every two feet. Oh, and I want the flower to be an iris because they're pretty. Oh, my funeral song is _Dead! _by My Chemical Romance, by the way."

"...Aura, sometimes your attitude is slightly disturbing, yes it is." Mey-Rin deadpanned.

"Then it's a good thing I'm planning on staying single for the rest of my life." I replied, beginning to walk out of the door.

"That doesn't even make sense!" Finnian, Bardroy, and Mey-Rin yelled as I shut the door behind me.

I smirked and just shook my head, heading to the room Mey-Rin and I shared. I had finally managed to remember a certain way to get there, much to my happiness. _I love being an American teenage girl from the twentyfirst century and having all the people around me be British and all uptight and stuff. It makes me feel powerful. Like Voldemort. ...I really need to stop bringing Harry Potter references into everything. _I sighed and walked the very long path to my room, all the way singing random songs by The Fray under my breath.

When I finally got to the room, I yanked open the door and flopped onto my bed. It had been yet another exhausting day in the Phantomhive household, even though I hadn't even been in it for a good chunk of the day. But whatever; I was tired. I wanted to sleep. And since I had a pretty good feeling that even though he didn't need me to do anything, Sebastian would kill me when he found me sleeping while we had guests, I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

That was just another mistake to add to my list of "What Not To Do When In An Anime Series With An Asshole Demon Butler When Your Soul Is Demon Crack." ...I need to edit that to make it shorter.

**Aura: Because Sebastian got pissed at Yuki and Hannah for being annoying, he left and the two authors left to further annoy him. Therefore, they told me it was my job to do the ending author note. Anyways...thanks so much for following me and my awesomesauce adventures so far! I'm quite the amazing character, aren't I? *cocky smirk* Sadly, though, school starts back up for Hannah and Yuki this Thursday (August 18) so updates will be slower starting then. Now...please review and wait patiently for chapter six! What do you think is gonna happen, hm? ^-^  
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	6. That Girl, Assaulted

**Ciel: Once again, Hannah and Yuki are knocked unconscious because they were so excited about over 90 reviews that they hit their heads on the ceiling from jumping with joy. Aura's chasing Sebastian down with a cross because she thought that it would be entertaining. Therefore, it is up to me to do the opening for chapter six. Even though I haven't in this story very much. *reading off a piece of paper* Ahem…thank you so much for all the support this you guys are giving this story. It means a lot to us. This chapter will be more "actiony" than usual, but it will be worth it. Please enjoy.**

_**Chapter Six**_

"Ciel, you look so cute! I just want to eat you up!" I gushed, hugging the young Earl. "Okay, let's see…we already got your dress, your shoes, your accessories…now it's time to do your hair!"

Ciel glowered at me as I surveyed him up and down. He looked SO FUCKING ADORABLE. He was wearing a pink dress that made him resemble a little girl at a British tea party, and frankly…I was really enjoying dressing him up in drag. "I'm going to set Sebastian on you," Ciel warned as I plopped a wig on his head to give him pigtails.

"Awesome. I can't wait." I replied, smoothing down the wig. "Kyah~! Honestly, Ciel, it's a shame that you weren't born a girl. It's just criminal to be this cute when you're a boy!"

Suddenly Ciel ripped himself from my arms, his dark blue eye glimmering angrily at me. Raising a hand to his right eye, he ripped off the eye patch and I gaped in shock at what his eye underneath it looked like: it was…a purplish star in the middle of a jagged circle. Just as I was make a crack about how everyone in England had some weird eye disorder, Ciel yelled, "Sebastian, this is an order: take Aura's soul right now!"

_Wait, WHAT? _

"Yes…my lord." Blackness surrounded me and I was enveloped in a pair of strong arms. Looking up, my light blue eyes met scarlet orbs that shone with a dozen or so emotions that I could and could not explain. Sebastian's face leered down at me, his smirk as cat-like and smug as ever. "Are you scared, Miss Aura?" He asked, tracing my jaw line with the tip of his finger. I hated the way it made me shiver with an overwhelming sense of need.

"Of course not," I heard myself say in a voice that I never used. It was…affectionate? Towards SEBASTIAN? Okay, this is getting waaaay too weird. I pressed my body closer to his and watched the shadows entwining around the two of us. "I'm a Phantomhive servant, right? It's my duty to obey what my master wishes. If he wants you to take my soul, then I'll go with it."

"That's the answer I wanted to hear," Sebastian whispered seductively into my ear, nibbling on it ever-so-slightly. It made me whimper as butterflies had a drunken fiesta in my stomach. The demon butler chuckled at my actions and licked my cheek - oh God, his tongue was so hot and wet… "Although I must admit to enjoying your more…stubborn side. It could prove to be most entertaining in this situation."

"Do it, Sebastian." I begged, gripping the sleeves on his waistcoat and looking up into those unfathomable eyes of his. "Take my soul. Take it now."

"My my, so demanding." Sebastian teased, chuckling darkly. "What happened to that perfect little maid I was just talking to, hm?" Just as I was about to cuss him out and tell him to get on with it, his mouth was on mine, kissing me furiously. The demon's tongue didn't even hesitate to pry apart my lips and slither into my mouth, wrapping itself around my own tongue to show its dominance. I moaned as Sebastian bit my bottom lip and his hands slid underneath the hem of my retarded maid dress, sliding up my thighs.

"Sebastian…" I moaned against his lips, feeling hot and faint. Were all demons such good kissers? It was almost as if I was going to…I don't know…spontaneously combust from all the hormones coursing through my veins right now. Suddenly, the really intense good feelings I was getting from making-out with Sebastian turned more…painful. My heart stopped; my breathing became harder; my body was like one big bruise. I pulled away from Sebastian, clawing at my throat as if it would help me to breathe normally again. I looked right into his eyes, which had transformed from their usual pink feline orbs into black bottomless pits that threatened to swallow me whole and never let me back out.

"Goodbye, Aura Monray." The demon before me said, his voice deep and flat. No more teasing emotion dwelled within it as it had before. "I'm sure your soul will be of great service to my master and I." He unhinged his jaw - _Like a snake_, I thought wearily - and shadows slithered out from his lips; the perfect ones I had been kissing only seconds before. The tendrils of darkness wrapped around my body, sending repulsive shudders up my spine and digging into my flesh as if they were thorns. Sebastian became nothing but a black hole that the shadows began to pull me towards, and I screamed for someone to make it all stop.

_And then I was falling, falling, falling…_

**X~X~*~X~X**

"DWAH!" My eyes shot open and I twisted around in the shadows that were wrapped around my leg - wait…The weird shadow thingies were all over me. This is just my leg.

I was hanging upside down with my head on the floor and my right leg still on the bed, the only thing holding me to the mattress the blankets that had wrapped around me in my sleep. I grunted and pulled the sheets off, which caused me to fully fall to the ground. "Ow…" I rubbed my head and winced as I felt a bump beginning to rise in my brown hair. I was all sweaty; my nightgown stuck to my skin like I was a contestant in a wet t-shirt contest, and my breathing was as rapid as my heartbeat. "It was just a dream," I murmured as I took in the slightly familiar surroundings of my new room. "A very weird dream that began with me making Ciel into a shoe-in for 'Toddlers and Tiaras' and ended with me and Sebastian making-out so he could suck out my soul."

But it had felt so real. I wasn't one to be all supernatural and believe in omens and shit (although I guess I should start, considering my current state of existence) but that…felt like a premonition of something that was going to happen soon. No - I refuse to accept that. It was just a dream, that's all. Just…a dream. I clenched my fist to my chest and slowly inhaled, calming myself down. "Okay, Aura. It was just a dream. That's it. Just relax, get back into bed and go to sleep. Tomorrow you have another fun filled day of bothering Sebastian and Ciel; you can't afford to waste your resting time."

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I slowly crawled back onto the mattress and pulled the covers over me. It was dark in the room but I could definitely see that Mey-Rin wasn't in her bed. "I wonder what that's about," I mumbled, closing my eyes and willing myself back to sleep. It wasn't until too long after I did so, however, that I heard approaching in the hallway and the door opening. Thinking it was Mey-Rin, I shot up and said, "Sebastian hasn't come and killed me yet for sneaking out during dinner; you guys were wrong - huh?"

The person who had just entered my room was definitely much too tall and stocky to be Mey-Rin, AND they weren't wearing her maid outfit nor tripping over nothing.

"Who the hell are you?" I demanded, brandishing my pillow in front of me like it could protect me if the intruder suddenly whipped out a gun and shot me or something. "Get out of my room!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, young lady."

I immediately froze up. O-Oh God. That voice…that was Timothy Cullen's voice. OH MY RUBBER CHICKENS, HE'S GOING TO RAPE ME LIKE I KNEW HE WOULD. "Get the fuck away from me," I snarled, ready to fight for my virginity. "My uncle who's a cop taught me some of the best pressure point areas, and I'm not afraid to use them!"

Creeper of the Year chuckled. It sounded gross, and all I wanted to do was beat this shit out of this guy. Where the hell was Sebastian - shouldn't he be protecting me or something? Cullen advanced forward and grabbed me by my shoulders, pushing me down into the mattress and making damn well sure that my head knocked against the headboard. Ouch, much! "We're going to have some fun tonight, my little firecracker," He whispered into my ear. His breath smelled like booze. "And then my maid is going to…no, let's leave that for later, shall we?"

_Wait, is Isolde lesbian or something? She's gonna bang me too after this jackass does? _Oh hell no. I am NOT letting that happen. "GET OFF!" I screamed, kicking Cullen in the kneecap. He grunted in surprise and rolled off a bit, nursing his leg. "MEY-RIN, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR DITZY AWESOMENESS RIGHT NOW" I screeched so loudly that my throat hurt.

Suddenly Cullen began to laugh. "No one's coming to help you, Aura babe. Those idiotic servants are passed out from all the liquor we had to commemorate that brat Ciel and my new partnership." His eyes slide over my chest, and I realized the nightgown I had been provided wasn't the most…modest piece of clothing, considering its flimsy tendencies.

"Well where's Ciel?" I asked. "He's not old enough to drink yet!" I was desperately trying to cover up my chest with the pillow.

"The brat is asleep." He answered, sliding back on top of me. He was too strong for me to push him off - I couldn't even wrench my arms out of his grasp. Apparently Cullen learned from his mistakes and made sure to pin my legs down with his waist so I couldn't kick him again. "And his butler…is doing some errands for me."

_What could Sebastian possibly be doing for this dickhead this late at night?_ I glared at Cullen and wondered if I could spit in his eye. "Why would Sebastian do something for YOU?" I demanded. "He's CIEL'S butler; not yours!"

"Yes, but he was following the kid's orders because I demanded a type of beer that the Phantomhive's don't supply in their house," Cullen laughed again, and I mused that it kind of sounded like Voldemort's retarded one. Maybe I shouldn't be bringing Harry Potter into this. "I made sure the booze I told him to get would take all night to find, just so I could have all the fun I want with you…" He bent his head down and licked my neck. I gasped - this was kind of like my dream! Only…Cullen's tongue was all slobbery and reminded me of Pluto's, whereas Sebastian's had been really nice.

Shit. I can't believe I just admitted that making-out with Sebastian had been nice. During my impending rape, even! "S-stop," I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. My magical demon crack powers would come in handy right about now! "I'll spit in your eyes!" I threatened, tensing up when Cullen bit my neck. _Great, he really IS related to the glittering fairy princess known as Edward Cullen - he thinks he can suck my blood!_

"If you do, I'll knock your teeth out," Cullen hissed against my skin, running his hand up my thigh and under the nightgown. "Just relax…and give yourself completely to me, Aura." Then he kissed me. Like, REALLY kissed me. Like Sebastian had in my dream, only this tasted like stale beer, pedophile, and failure. Whereas Sebastian had tasted…just plain awesome. Fuck, I need to stop thinking that!

I wrenched my head away from his lips and hissed, "Like hell I will, you perverted old man!" I spat in his eyes - hey, I said I would! - and kicked him in the balls when he jumped up in shock. Cullen roared in pain and I pushed him off of me, running towards the door so I could find Ciel and tell him to get Sebastian the fuck back here.

"Not so fast!" Cullen snarled. "ISOLDE!" He ripped off his shirt to reveal your typical middle-aged man body (WHICH I DID NOT WANT TO SEE, BY THE WAY. Was that REALLY necessary?) and over his heart was a weird mark that kind of reminded me of the one I had seen on Ciel's eye in my dream. It was a black triangle with a bunch of intricate squiggles in the middle. It started to glow a weird violet color, and Cullen smirked at me. "We know what you are, bitch," He whispered joyfully. "And you're going to be the thing that allows me t take over the Phantomhive business!"

Cue his retarded evil laughter.

I stiffened right in front of the doorway and slowly turned to face him. "What the did you just say?" I asked.

Cullen threw his head back and guffawed again. His laugh was REALLY starting to piss me off. "You're the human whose soul will grant any demon that devours it power beyond words! Isolde could sense it." He leered at me. "Your reaction confirms her instincts."

_Shit! Isolde's a demon like Sebastian then? That's why I saw her eyes go all freaky when I told her my name…_ I gulped and began to back away through the doorway, only to run into somebody. _Isolde's behind me, isn't she?_ I slowly turned around to meet a pair of bright pink eyes as Isolde indeed stared at me. "Yes, Master Timothy?" She cocked her head inquisitively.

"Izzy, dear, I've had my fun with the little slut." Cullen waved his hand at me with a bored air. "You can eat her soul now. The quicker we take the Funtom company for ourselves, the better."

"Of course." Isolde grabbed my arms and slammed me against the wall, hard. "Forgive me, Aura," She said. "I really do enjoy your company, but your soul is much too important to pass up." She smiled, and I hated how pretty it made her look. Did demons have a secret pact to make sure they looked sexy at all times or something? "This will only hurt for a second," Isolde whispered, flipping her black hair. Pulling her gloves off to reveal a mark exactly like the one on Cullen's chest, she put her hand on my forehead and looked deep into my eyes.

…I was so SOL.

"N-no…" I whimpered, flashbacking to my creepy dream in which Sebastian sucked out my soul. Personally, I liked that version better than this. But I couldn't let this happen to me - I had so much to live for! I still had yet to fully get Sebastian back about the naked Pluto thing, I really wanted to put Ciel in a dress after my dream, and I wanted to get to know that Grell guy more! I can't go out like this…it'd be too anticlimactic after everything I've worked so hard to achieve while living at the manor! "SEBASTIAN, GET YOUR SORRY DEMON ASS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!" I screeched before Isolde's other hand clamped over my mouth to prevent me from yelling for help any more.

"You called?"

Isolde and Cullen spun around as a figure clad in black stepped down elegantly from the open window. As if the weather had an agreement with the person who had just entered the room, the wind kicked up so that the curtains fluttered around them like some super hero's cape. My eyes widened and I almost squealed like a little kid when the mysterious intruder's eyes met mine, and I found myself falling into a familiar bemused conjunctivitis-infected gaze.

"Sebastian Michaelis…" Isolde murmured, narrowing her eyes.

"Wh-wh-what the hell are you doing back?" Cullen demanded, looking a bit shaken. "That errand I had your brat for a master send you off on should have taken you all night!"

"You should know one thing, Mr. Cullen." Sebastian put a bottle of liquor down on my bed and smiled benevolently. "A task such as this was quite easy for me to do. You see, I am just one hell of a butler."

Cullen blanched and backed away towards Isolde. "I-Izzy, forget about the girl for now - kill this bastard!"

Isolde removed her hands from me and took a step forward. "It has been a long time, old friend." She gave Sebastian an almost affectionate smirk. "I see you're as classy as ever."

"And you're as stunning as I remember you being about one hundred years ago," Sebastian replied, also smiling. Despite their happy facades, though, I could detect a bunch of scary as hell anger radiating off of both of them. Some serious shit was about to hit the fan, I could guarantee that. "Now, what seems to be the problem? Is there a specific reason why you are assaulting one of our prized servants, Mr. Cullen?" Sebastian gestured to me, still backed up against the wall and too freaked out to move.

"Don't play dumb with us, demon!" Cullen snarled. "We know that this girl has an extremely valuable soul! You're just keeping her here to use at your whim. My dearest Izzy, on the other hand, can make full use of the girl's soul. Why don't you hand her over to us, eh?"

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that. You see, my master Ciel gave me an order. You wish to know what is was?" Sebastian smiled, cocking his head in a way I found…kind of hot. I quickly chased away the thought, shaking my head and banging it against the wall for good measure. "It was to ensure that no one touched the Phantomhive family's legacy. To make sure I destroy all those who humiliate my master. By doing such a dishonor to one of his employees, you have disgraced Ciel Phantomhive himself."

"I don't give a shit what that little snot-nosed brat tells you what to do!" Cullen raged. "The Funtom company shall belong to me come sunrise, and there's nothing you can to about it!" He turned to Isolde, who was waiting patiently for instructions. "Izzy, kill him! NOW!"

Isolde nodded and threw herself at Sebastian, who caught the female demon and held her by the neck. Isolde struggled as gargled protests issued from her lips. "You've gotten weak over the decades, Isolde." Sebastian shook his head sadly. "Or is it that…you still care for me, as you did long ago?"

…?

"Izzy! What's this asshole implying?" Cullen demanded harshly. "You two know each other?"

"Master…" Isolde managed to get out as Sebastian's grip on her throat tightened. She cried out and twitched. "For…give me…" Sebastian moved towards the window, looking as if he was going to throw her out and then hop right after to finish her off.

"Sebastian, don't!" Someone yelled. I looked around for who had spoken, but then I realized it had been me. "Don't…don't kill her." I managed to stop the shaking in my legs and made my way over to Sebastian and Isolde.

"Why not? She was trying to steal your soul, was she not?" Sebastian pointed out. "In case you have forgotten, Aura, that is MY job. I do not so easily forgive those who believe they can violate my property."

"Your PROPERTY?" I felt like kicking the bastard, even though he had just saved my ass. "I'm a human, Sebastian. I'm not PROPERTY. And the only reason Isolde wanted my soul was so she could follow her master's orders - aren't you doing the same? Please, Sebastian, just let her go. We can work this out like civilized people, okay?" I put on my begging eyes and stared at the demon butler, who was still choking Isolde. You know, if she was a demon too, shouldn't she be a little more - I dunno - kick ass? Right now she was just kind of weak and pathetic. Like a baby chicken. Or maybe what Sebastian had said earlier was true and she really did have feelings for him!

"You do make a valid point…" Sebastian said thoughtfully. Sliding his gaze to the steaming Timothy Cullen, who looked like he was so pissed off that he couldn't speak, he said, "I'm not one to dirty my hands with disgusting scum, anyway." Oh, that was harsh. Sebastian dropped Isolde on the ground, who took in a huge breath of air.

"You bastard…how dare you act like I'm dirt!" Cullen snapped, making a move as if he was going to attack Sebastian. I thought he was actually going to do it, too, but suddenly a familiar young voice said,

"What on earth are you all going on about?"

It was Ciel, in all his sleepy, annoyed, British, nightgown clad glory. I felt like hugging him. "Sebastian, care to explain what is happening?" Ciel demanded, brushing some of his blue-black hair our of his face. His eye patch was gone from his right eye, and when he opened it, I saw the same symbol I had seen in my dream. _No way, my dreams can predict shit? _

"Forgive me, Bocchan," Sebastian bowed. "I was hoping to take out the trash before our scuffle awoke you. I am a horrible Phantomhive butler."

"Never mind that," Ciel waved his hand dismissively. "Cullen! I could hear your deranged ravings from my room. What's this I hear about you taking over my company?" He glared at the trembling middle-aged man who had the expression of a little kid who had just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Pitiful, really.

He didn't answer. Ciel sighed in exasperation and looked at Isolde, who was massaging her throat. Then the young Earl looked at Sebastian, and he said, "This is an order, Sebastian: get rid of these imbeciles. They have the nerve to be rude enough to not only attack an employee of mine but also plot against me in the business field."

"Yes, my lord." Sebastian bowed and placed his hand on Isolde's shoulder. "It is time for me to see you off, Isolde. It was a pleasure seeing you again, but I'm afraid we must bid each other farewell for now." He glared at Cullen, who flinched instantly. "Honestly, why couldn't you have found a better master than that sorry pile of slop?"

"Sebastian…" Isolde's pretty face was blotchy, and I realized she looked like she wanted to cry. …demons don't cry, do they? The female demon suddenly hugged Sebastian, and I was shocked when a wave of jealously crashed into my system and hardwired itself into my brain.

_Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill…_ My mind started to chant. Why? Why was I so…envious of Isolde all of a sudden? Because of that dream? I'm so confused…

"Izzy! Step away from that bastard this instant!" Cullen commanded.

"I'm sorry, Master Timothy," Isolde said unwrapping her delicate arms from Sebastian's waist. The bastard looked pretty smug. "But I cannot be your maid anymore. The whole reason I even suggested we come to London to take over Funtom was so I could see Sebastian again. I've never wanted your soul - it's as far from pure as rotting flesh." The last bit was said with a slight hiss, and Isolde's face was twisted with disgust. "You're repulsive, Timothy Cullen. Four wives in twelve years, all whom you had 'taken care of' just because they weren't good enough in bed. My contract with you was a lie, you know. I used you." She held up her hand and the mark on it began to glow. "If I had truly wanted you to become my master, I would have come to you at the time of your death. But you haven't died yet, have you?"

Cullen looked beyond shocked now. His face was pale, his body was shaking, and I noticed that he was fumbling around for something in his pocket.

"So…you did all of this just to find Sebastian?" I asked, hating the fact that I had been quiet for so long. I mean, I'd been the one Isolde had assaulted for shit's sake! "But why?"

Isolde's face softened. "I've know Sebastian since before he was 'Sebastian Michaelis'. If there could truly be such a thing as friends between demons, I'm proud to say that Sebastian was exactly that for me. Although I wanted more…" She gave a sad sort of smile. "I know that it will never happen, but can you blame me for trying?"

"You bitch…you traitorous BITCH!" Cullen screamed as he whipped out a gun and pointed it at me. I stiffened; what the hell? "I can still kill the girl; then neither of you will have her soul. Even if I may have lost, I will have won in the long term! Ahahahahahaha!" His eyes widened as he laughed insanely. He pulled out another gun and pointed that one at Ciel. "And what will happen if the dear Earl Phantomhive is tragically shot, hm? Let's find out, shall we? SHALL WE?" I wanted to scream; to run; to kick him in the balls. ANYTHING. But I was completely frozen. There was something about facing imminent death that made the brain process things in a bit of an odd way, and this was definitely one of those moments.

"Sebastian!" Ciel yelled, his eyes widening as Cullen's fingers tightened on the triggers. "Do something!"

_I think I prefer getting my soul sucked out by a demon than being shot in the head by a crazed pedophile,_ I managed to think just as Cullen pulled the trigger on both guns.

Time seemed to stop. The world went quiet just as the gunshot popped loudly into the air. And then suddenly a blur raced in front of me, and I was scooped up in one arm as it passed. Where I had been only mere milliseconds before a bullet raced through the air and buried itself into the wall behind me. I looked up and saw Sebastian looking down at me with a bored expression on his face - almost as if this whole night hadn't been stressful to him at all! Hell, it probably hadn't been!

In Sebastian's other arm was Ciel, dangling above the floor like a little doll as his butler held him. There was a bullet imbedded in the wall Ciel had been standing in front of, just like me. "Bocchan, I trust I made it in time?" Sebastian inquired. "You are not injured?"

"Just pissed," Ciel replied. "I really hate lying bastards who think they can cheat me out of my company." He narrowed his eyes. "You can put me down now, Sebastian. I hardly think its necessary for this anymore; just look at him."

Sebastian set Ciel down but still held me, probably because I was too shocked to tell him to put me down as well. He had just…saved me. Sebastian freaking Michaelis had just rescued me from being shot. I looked over at Cullen, who was screaming and writhing on the floor in pain. Isolde stood over him, her right hand over his body and the mark on it continuing to glow. The mark on Cullen's chest began to shine also, and his body was beginning to…decay?

"NO! NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! ISOLDE, NO!" Cullen shrieked, his slightly handsome face becoming nothing but sagging skin and bones. "NOOOOO - " The inhuman scream was cut off as his body completely crumbled into dust until nothing was left of Timothy Cullen but a dusty suit.

"So you took the energy from his body instead of the energy from his soul," Sebastian mused, nodding to Isolde in a sort of impressed way. "Good thinking. I was wondering why you had contracted with a filthy human like him; his soul was most unclean. I should have know you planned to dispose of him in a painful way like this, Isolde. It has always been your specialty."

"You know me too well, Sebastian." Isolde grinned cheekily at the demon butler. She looked back down at the pile of sand. "I guess I've made a mess of things…don't worry, I promise to clean it up."

"Sebastian…" I murmured, finally realizing that I could talk again.

He looked down at me as if he just remembered he had been holding me. "Hm? Yes, Aura?" Either it was the lighting in the room or just me, but his face…it looked really sexy when he stared down at me. Like an angel come to life - er, I guess that wouldn't be too accurate of a description now would it?

"You saved me." I stated blankly, knowing that a bright pink blush was settling on my cheeks as I stared at his weirdly sexy face. Apparently after near-death experiences, I'm not the brightest light bulb in the bunch.

"Well, of course I did. I told you I would protect you, did I not? Your soul is a precious item that must be kept safe until it is ripe enough to eat. Letting that madman shoot you would be most dissatisfying after all the trouble I went through to find you and bring you here." Sebastian answered with a little laugh. "Really, Aura, you must be very dense to not have figured that out by now."

"_Dense"? Why I oughta…_ But instead of leaping out of Sebastian's grasp and letting out a string of curses that would have made even a pirate shudder, I felt my mind shutting down and the world turned black as I passed out, yet again, while Sebastian was in contact with my body.

Well hello there subconsciousness. Miss me? Let's go have some more weird dreams, okay?

**Ciel: About fucking time I made a badass appearance! Even though I did get shot at… *grumbling* Anyway, Hannah and Yuki love you guys so much that they decided to try to update before school starts on Thursday. They're so wonderful, aren't they? *looks as if he just drank spoiled milk* They're paying me to say that, I hope you know. Yes, Isolde will be staying for a bit, and yes, the chapters always seem to end with Aura either sleeping or unconscious. Deal with it. It adds drama. Be good readers and tell the authors how much you love me - I mean this story - and review. Predictions about what may happen are always welcome, too. Now if you would excuse me, I am going to find my butler and get him to make me some tea. And then I am going to watch Hetalia Axis Powers. …because Yuki got me hooked on that series. DAMN YOU, YUKI!**


	7. That Girl, Supportive

**Yuki: MARUKAITE CHIKYUU! MARUKAITE CHIKYUU! MARUKAITE CHIKYUU! ORE AMERICA!**

**Hannah: *sigh* You're not going to even comment on the fact that we got over 100 reviews for this story, are you?**

**Yuki: …PRUSSIA'S BEEN INVADING MY VITAL REGIONS.**

**Hannah: O_O …and this is why I don't watch Hetalia. Anyway, please enjoy chapter seven. It may be a bit shorter than usual and mostly Aura learning about Ciel's past, but please understand; we're a bit pressed for time now that school has started.**

**Yuki: If there are any Hetalia Axis Powers fans out there, check out my new story "World Is Ours"! **

_**Chapter Seven**_

The next thing I knew, I was being gently shaken awake and a soothing voice was saying, "Aura, it's time to wake up now. We have a lot to do today." I groaned and buried my face into the pillow; I did NOT want to get up after the night I had just had. Not only had I almost been raped by a creepy pedophile who actually wanted to take over the Funtom Toy Company, but I had almost had my soul taken by his lady demon! AND, to top all THAT off, I had gotten shot at! I mean, Sebastian did save me and all, but still - it's a lot for a sixteen year old girl to handle.

Needless to say there was no way in hell (Haha, a pun!) I was waking up for anyone or anything. Unless there was chocolate-covered strawberries and bacon involved. Then I might get up.

"Honestly, Aura, the least you can do is acknowledge me," The voice reprimanded. Another round of shoulder-shaking was performed on me, and some hair brushed against my mouth. I fought the urge to sneeze, trying to remain as inert and asleep-like as possible. "I'll set Pluto on you," The person who was trying to wake me up threatened.

That did the trick.

"GAAAH! NO, ANYTHING BUT THAT DAMNED DOG!" I shrieked, flinging the covers off of me and looking around restlessly just in case a naked Pluto was anywhere near me. I was wrong, though - the only other person in the room with me was Isolde in all her drop-dead gorgeous demon maid glory.

The female hell spawn smiled at me. "Sebastian told me that would get you to wake up."

"Well, he's a jackass." I muttered, blushing at the mere mention of Sebastian's name. I mean, for crap's sake I had passed out in his arms while looking at his face last night! And I was still debating on whether or not it was sexy to me…half of me was saying "HELLS YES" and then the other half just wanted to dunk him in holy water and see what would happen. "Don't listen to him when it comes to me." I squinted my eyes at the black-haired woman. "Hey, are you going to be staying at the manor or something?"

Isolde nodded, her amber eyes glinting in a way I couldn't describe. "Yes. Now that I have taken care of that trash," By "trash" I knew she meant Timothy Cullen. "I can finally be by Sebastian's side. That boy Ciel said it was perfectly all right for me to live here as long as I did my duty as a new Phantomhive servant and did not try to steal his soul. Of course, I would never try to take the soul of Sebastian's prey - yours is the prize I want most." Isolde laughed when I scooted back away from her so quickly that I fell off the other side of the bed. "Do not fret, Aura; I won't take your soul until it's ready. And even then, I will have to fight Sebastian for it, most likely." Her expression darkened. "That is…something that I do not want to happen."

I just kind of stared at her in awkward silence from my other side of the bed. Then I said, "Um…well…so you're a maid here, too, now?"

Isolde nodded again. "Yes. And my first job as a Phantomhive servant is to get your butt out of bed. Despite the fact that you were almost murdered last night, you are still expected to work. That is the duty of a Phantomhive employee." The smug way she said it, I knew Isolde had been talking with Sebastian. Probably reminiscing about the "good ol' times" or something…I wonder what the hell they even did back then.

"Gee, thanks," I muttered sarcastically, rubbing my eyes and yawning. "I'll be ready in a little bit. Where's Mey-Rin?"

"Suffering from a hangover, I believe. As are the gardener and the cook." Isolde answered cheerfully. The way she said it made me think that she enjoyed their pain. Eh, she was a demon - Isolde probably could get horny off of other's suffering. I wonder if that meant Sebastian got horny when he made Pluto attack me with his nakedness - HOLY SHIT, I DID NOT JUST THINK THAT. Ewwwww, brain! Get that image out of your mind! BURN IT! BUUUUUUURN IIIIIIIIIIIIT!

Isolde gave me a funny look as I bashed my head against the bed (Hey, at least the mattress was soft and I wasn't bruising my cranium) but got up and walked out of the room. After appeasing to the other side of me that seemed to really enjoy the thought of a sex-craving Sebastian - don't ask how I "appeased" it because I will never tell - I got dressed for the day and headed downstairs. I figured that everyone would be in the kitchen because that seemed to be where they all hung out in the morning. I was right. When I walked through the door Finny, Bard, and Mey-Rin instantly groaned and said in sync "Make your feet shut up, Aura…" All three were sprawled out on the table looking absolutely pathetic. Remind me never to get drunk.

"And what did we learn about going overboard with the level of alcohol we ingest?" Sebastian asked. Because, of course, he just had to be there looking all prim and proper and "I am God, bitches." But why did he have to look so damn HOT when as he did it? And I'm not even going to yell at my subconscious for thinking that - I'm just going to accept the fact that I think Sebastian is indeed good-looking even though he's a big fat prick.

"To not to," The three servants in question answered remorsefully, their eyes bloodshot and their faces ragged and pale.

I wondered if it was safe to even say hi to them, because I was worried that the sound of my voice would make their ears bleed. So, I just walked over to where Isolde and Sebastian were hanging out together by the oven. "See? I got up today. Even though I am and forever will be mentally scarred from last night."

"That's nice Aura," Sebastian answered, not really looking at me. "Isolde and I will be heading out into the city today to do errands, since I know she is much more capable of being helpful than you are. The young master has instructed me to tell you that you are to serve him until we return. I trust you can handle this simple task?" He peered at me incredulously.

I crossed my arms over my chest and resisted the urge to lose myself in his burgundy eyes. _Resist the power of the smex, Aura! _I mentally told myself. "Is this going to be simple like 'feeding the dog' or simple like putting out the fires that Bard creates?"

"With the current skill level you have so elegantly shown so far," The word "elegantly" was said so normally that I knew for a fact Sebastian meant it to be sarcastic. "I'd say…" The demon butler paused, smiled, and said, "You know, I think it will be better if you just see for yourself. Until dinner time."

I gaped at Sebastian as he and Isolde sped off, the female of the duo giving me a cheerful wave before exiting the kitchen. Fury and rage boiled up inside me, and I felt like throwing a knife at someone. Or something. Mainly Sebastian's ego, because it was practically corporeal in its enormity.

Figuring that the three hung-over servants (And Tanaka, but he was drinking his tea as usual. I bet he had to pee every hour from all the tea he drank.) would be safe from making any messes if they stayed in the kitchen and just nursed their alcohol poisoning, I made my way to the little brat's room and knocked on the door. "Ciel? Sebastian said I have to take care of you and all that good shit. Do I come in or what?"

"Yes," Came Ciel's stuffy aristocratic reply. "Close the door on your way in."

I opened the door and walked in, making sure it closed behind me. Ciel was seated at his desk as usual, paperwork piled high on the fancy wooden structure and the curtain drawn behind him, creating an air of depression in the office. Ciel looked more tired than usual - I guess last night's little adventure had affected him as well. "Hey! 'Sup, Shorty?" I grinned and flashed him a peace sign before settling down on the fancy plush carpet in front of the desk and staring up at the young Earl.

"…what are you doing?" Ciel asked, somewhat irritably. His eye that wasn't covered by the eye patch was twitching slightly. Oh yeah, I still need to ask what the deal with the weird pentagram thingy in his eye was about last night.

"Sitting on the floor and watching you write. DUUUH. You blind in both eyes or something?" I smirked, knowing fully well that I was going to really piss Ciel off.

"Well don't just stand around doing nothing; make me tea. Then get me something sweet." Ciel commanded.

"Na-ah-ah~!" I waggled my finger. "What's the magic word~?"

"Get me some goddamn tea, Aura."

"…I will not tolerate you using God's name in vain, young man!"

"You use it all the time like that."

"NO I DON'T! You're just jealous of my sexiness!"

"W-w-what the - " Ciel stammered and went pink. "That didn't even make sense, you deranged moron!"

"Your face doesn't make sense!" I shot back smugly. Thank God for my American heritage and the fact that I went to a public school for all my life.

"GET ME MY FUCKING TEA, AURA!" Ciel yelled, throwing a pen at me. The little brat was red in the face (which didn't make sense…Haha, I made a funny) and panting with rage. "Or must I call upon Sebastian and have him use Pluto once more?"

"God dammit - is EVERYONE using Pluto as a weapon against me?" I demanded hotly.

Ciel smirked and sat back down. "Perhaps. Now go make me tea. If I have to order you again, I won't hesitate to use Sebastian's demon abilities. I can guarantee you that." I glared at him for a total of thirteen seconds, then gave in and flipped Ciel off. A tick mark appeared on the young Earl's forehead, but he went back to his paperwork and proceeded to ignore me.

"Fucking demon crack wannabe," I muttered stiffly, walking out of Ciel's office and all the way back to the kitchen. When I got there, everyone was passed out with their heads on the table. Tanaka was using Bardroy's back as a cushion, and he laughed his weak chuckle at me in ways of greeting. I nodded at the old man and went to making my impatient boss tea.

_Crap! I didn't even think to ask what kind of tea Ciel likes!_ I suddenly realized as I rummaged through the cabinets for a tea kettle. _…wait a minute…I can't even MAKE tea!_ I pressed my forehead against the cabinet door and sighed in defeat. "I wish I was home now…" I whispered. "Zoe can make tea like she was born to do it." As I thought about my best friend, a wave of home sickness passed over me. I missed my family, my friends, my cat aptly named Snape (aptly because he could be pretty assholish when he wanted to), my old wardrobe…everything. I never asked to be this demon Powerade-type being. I just wanted to be a normal high school girl who went of to college and get a good paying job, where I would eventually move to Australia and live with a pack of rare Lambkin Dwarf Cats while writing the next installment to the Harry Potter series.

See? My standards for life did NOT include being sucked into some Japanese cartoon show and being abused both mentally and physically every day by an arrogant demon bastard.

"Life sucks," I muttered as I heated water on the stove. I was just going to BS my way through making tea. "And then you die." Personally, I was a firm believer in the philosophy of that quote. It summed up practically everything you needed to know in the world. _And I bet Sebastian and Isolde are chummin' it up right now and laughing about my impending doom._ I added mentally as I watched the pot bubble. I figured I'd just add the tea leaves right away and hoped it was the correct way to make tea. I sighed and stirred the leaves, biting my bottom lip in frustration. I was suddenly feeling slightly jealous about Isolde and Sebastian hanging out all alone. _But why? I hate that dickhead. Even if I will finally admit he's hot, Sebastian's just too cruel to me. Plus, he wants to eat my soul. So why do I feel…so jealous of Isolde and Sebastian's past relationship?_

"Gaaah. Screw it." I turned the teapot off and poured the liquid into a teacup. I'm not going to lie - it looked like it was going to kill you. "I'm not gonna think about this anymore, I'm just going to give Ciel his crappy tea and then laugh as he chokes on it." I paused, looking at the fancy china tea set and feeling a bit guilty about my lack of tea-making skills. I rummaged around in the ice box (Not the fridge; literally, just a box of ice with no electrical cords to keep it frozen. Oh the joys of nineteenth century technology.) and got out a strawberry cheesecake I hoped that Sebastian had save for Ciel. Slicing a piece and putting it on the tray to accompany the tea, I marched back upstairs and opened the door.

Ciel looked up from his paper work and frowned. "You're supposed to knock first, Aura. Not just barge in uninvited. What if I were doing something that - "

"What, you're telling me you masturbate at the age of…uh…twelve? And that if I suddenly walk in that I'd be interrupting your alone time?" I asked sarcastically, setting the tea tray down on his desk.

Ciel went bright pink, especially around the ears (hey, they were pierced! That's so cute!) and slapped a palm to his forehead. "I cannot believed you just said that out loud."

"I'm a teenager, Ciel. I make risqué comments every four sentences. It's a perk of the job." I smirked at his little kid uncomfortable-ness and pointed to the tea, which was now resembling yellowish-white sludge. "Uh…by the way, I can't make tea worth a flaming horse turd, so you may want to avoid drinking that if you value your life. I found the cheesecake in the fridge - ice box, I mean - and I think Sebastian made it, so it's probably safe."

The blackish-blue haired boy sniffed the teacup, made a face, and went to devouring the cheesecake slice. "How could you possibly fail so horribly at making a cup of tea?" He asked through bites.

I shrugged. "I live in America in the twenty-first century. We don't really make tea everyday. Our morning drinks are either coffee or caffeinated beverages to get us up and moving."

"Your time sounds very odd," Ciel murmured, licking his spoon with a slight look of ecstasy on his adorable face. Awww, the little brat has a sweet tooth! That's so cute! It makes me want to put him in a dress even more!

"So is yours to me. I mean, I'm used to cell phones and computers. Here, the closest thing I have to that is a mail service and my brain." I sighed and ran a finger through my hair. "I really miss home."

There was one of those awkward silences between me and Ciel. You know, the kind where you know the other person wants to say something or vice versa, but neither of you want to talk because you just feel weird doing it. Finally, after what seemed ages of me doing nothing but watching Ciel eat his cake, I poked Ciel in the forehead and asked, "How did Sebastian become your butler?"

The young Earl put his spoon down and looked at me with that pretty eye of his. I could distinctly see many layers of depressed sadness underneath their sapphire-like sheen, and I had a feeling there was a sob story involved. "Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't answer that question. However, since you most certainly are not a 'normal circumstance' I suppose I must tell you a little bit about our history."

"If it makes you feel uncomfortable, you don't have to," I replied quickly, noticing the sudden shadow that had passed over Ciel's face. "I could probably live the remainder of my life not knowing."

"No, I will tell you." Ciel shook his head. "After all, you are the human whose soul will help my butler better protect me. It would seem beneficial to you if I told you of how Sebastian and I came to be in this position." He took a deep breath and began his story:

"A couple years ago, on my birthday…my parents were killed and my mansion was burned down. I was kidnapped by a mysterious cult and abused, tortured…I was going to be sold into slavery. And then I…met Sebastian. He came to me, nothing more than a black raven, and asked if I wanted to be saved. I was just a child; of course I wanted to live. I agreed to a contract with him, under one condition: he would have my soul when the time is right as long as he agreed to help me avenge the ruin of my family's name and get revenge on those who humiliated me that night. That is why I am the head of the Phantomhive family, and Sebastian is my loyal butler. We will be so until the day comes where he will at last devour my soul and complete our contract. This is the sign of our bond."

Ciel took the eye patch off of his right eye so I could see the weird purple star in the middle of the circle. It was kind of eerie to have this little kid looking at me with one normal eye and a…demonic messenger-type other one. He put the patch back on his eye and cleared his throat. "That is all I have to tell you." He tried to hide it, but I could hear an almost inaudible tremor in Ciel's voice. It made something stir up in me, an odd desire to hug the poor guy.

I threw caution to the wind and did exactly that - I wrapped my arms as tightly around Ciel as I could and squeezed him. "G-gack…wh-what the h-hell, Aura…get off, I c-can't breathe!" Ciel squirmed in my grasp, but all I did was loosen my hold so he could breathe. "Stop touching me, dammit!" He commanded sharply.

"No." I answered simply. "I know you're probably not the type of person to be all huggy and shit, but you need this. Trust me; my grandma was a psychiatrist, and she always said that hugs were the best thing you could give someone who's had a traumatic experience. In your case, I think about a thousand hugs would do the trick." I patted his soft hair and grinned, positioning myself so that my arm was the only thing slung around his shoulders. "How about this; if you ever need someone to talk to, you can come to me. I'm the closest to your age here, and I'm kinda in the same boat as you. Because of my soul 'belonging' to Sebastian and all that."

Ciel looked uncomfortable and like he wanted to bite my hand. "…you're psychotic, did you know that?"

"Another perk of being a teenager - your hormones make you either insane of crazy." I answered cheerfully. I was starting to get that urge to put Ciel in a dress again…

"Those two terms mean the same thing, Aura." Ciel responded flatly.

"Then why are there two different definitions for it in the dictionary?" I pointed out. I ruffled his hair again and gave him another quick hug before hopping away from his desk and going over to the door. "Just think of me as your big sister from now on, all right? Yes, I can be a bitch, but I can also be pretty good at helping others talk their problems out. Besides," I flashed Ciel another perky grin before exiting his office, "I'm just being the best Phantomhive servant I can be by helping out my boss with his personal life!"

And with that, I left Ciel's office before he could protest or say anything about my odd change in personality.

I was completely serious though; underneath that cold and hard demeanor, there was a little kid suffering from a traumatic near-death experience. Sometimes the best thing to do would be to talk out his fears and whatnot, and I wanted to be there for him. Sure, Ciel was a bit of a brat with a little prick mixed in, but that was understandable after what had happened to him. I mean, look at me: sarcastic and bitchy all the way, and I've never gotten kidnapped after my parents were brutally murdered. That was just the way I was, and nothing could change that. Although I may have to start blaming that almost rape I got from Cullen and all the other "adventures" I'd had so far here to account for my attitude.

Plus if I was there for Ciel when he needed it, I might be able to stick him in a dress if I was lucky. That's always a bonus.

**Hannah: Sorry for the un-epicness of this chapter; like I said before, it was mostly just Ciel telling Aura about his past with Sebastian. Next chapter will be better, though. And if Ciel was a bit OOC during this, please don't hesitate to say so (NICELY). He's a tough cookie to write. Now, Yuki, do you have anything to add? Preferably NOT Hetalia related?**

**Yuki: …Sebastian looks hot when wet and wearing nothing but a white t-shirt?**

**Hannah: -_- Close enough. Until next time!**

**Yuki: Don't forget guys; if you like Hetalia Axis Powers, check out my new story "War Is Ours"! I'm not sure how often updates will be, but I will do my best. Thanks for all the reviews and support so far~~~!**


	8. That Girl, Flustered

**Grell: Welcome, darlings, to chapter eight of ****My Soul To Steal.**** I'm sure you've all been anxious about my beautiful face showing back on the computer screen, and I just wanted to let you know that -**

**Yuki: GRELL! SHUT UP BEFORE YOU SPOIL THINGS!**

**Grell: But -**

**Hannah: Grell, honey, we love you but…you need to learn when to be quiet.**

**Grell: WHAT DID I SAY THAT WAS EVEN A HINT OF A SPOILER? I'M NOT EVEN IN THIS CHAPTER!**

**Hannah and Yuki: Well you just spoiled that, you dummy!**

_**Chapter Eight**_

The week that followed my coming into the Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler (I was still a bit iffy on which title to use) it began to snow in England. Winter came, and with it followed blustering winds and slight blizzards. Being a fan of the cold myself, I was freaking ecstatic. Basically the only thing I was permitted to do after my almost-rape and the various other scarring things that had happened to me was familiarizing myself with the way the Phantomhive manor did things, so it's needless to say that I was pretty bored. Oh, and Isolde? She got to do EVERYTHING. Her and Sebastian were, like, the Epic Servant Duo or something. And you know what else? Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard hadn't even questioned why Isolde was now a part of our happy little family. They completely believed Ciel when he told them that the business deal between Funtom and Timothy Cullen had simply broken apart, and Isolde had wanted to stay with us instead of going back to America.

…Sometimes I wonder about the people I'm not hanging out with.

Anyways, let's get back to the point, shall we? Sebastian was still an ass to me (albeit a sexy and charming ass…but you didn't hear it from me!) and Isolde was like my older sister in a way. My creepy older sister who would constantly make jokes about stealing my soul in my sleep. Yeah, not funny. Especially with the fact that the female demon now shared a room with Mey-Rin and I.

Ciel had taken to avoiding me after the little moment we had in his office where he had told me about how he and Sebastian had become acquainted and I had hugged the cute little brat to show him my support. That bit made me sad - I honestly thought I was doing him a favor by promising to listen to his troubles. Apparently when you're a male British preteen in charge of your entire family's company with a demon butler ready to take your soul, an American teenage girl swearing to be your fake older sister in order to help you with your personal problems is stressful. Go figure.

Mey-Rin and I had successfully realized that with Isolde and Sebastian on board, we were pretty much useless as maids. So, to rid ourselves of boredom, we took to stalking the two whenever we could to see what they did. Which, by the way, was very hard considering they were demons with super senses and that almost always they could see or hear us. It didn't help that Mey-Rin was always blushing and gazing at Sebastian's "godliness" and gushing about how "perfect" he was. If only you knew the half of it, Ditzy Four-Eyes.

I had decided to teach Bardroy the proper way to use fire in various things rather than always blowing up dinner. So far it was going all right, except for the little incident we had when he set off a flame bomb thingy in the back yard, and that involved me going ape-shit with my good ol' old-timey fire extinguisher to put the fire out. (He had tried to put it out himself by grabbing a bucket he had thought was filled with water but in reality it was actually oil…smart move, Bard. Smart move.) By the way, this is how our conversation went during that little fiasco:

Bardroy: Aura! I put them fires out like you tol' me to!

Me: You made the fires WORSE you freaking idiot!

Bardroy: *looking at the giant flames* Worse? Or better?

…Yeah. That hadn't been fun, especially when Sebastian blamed me for that…

Finnian and I had been put in charge of fixing the garden after Bardroy set it on fire. That wasn't too hard, since Finny's super-strength allowed him to haul a lot of seed bags and whatnot back and forth with no problem. What was difficult, though, was the fact that poor Finny didn't know his own strength so he always ended up breaking something. Oh, and Pluto really liked to hang around the gardener (the feeling was mutual, by the way) so the two of them always screwed around leaving me to do the dirty work. Not fun. Not fun at all.

All in all, it had been a very productive week for me. I became closer with the Phantomhive servants - excluding Tanaka because all he did was sit on a cushion and drink tea, but I'm sure that's pretty clear to everyone by now - and I could officially say I survived my first week back in time as demon crack. The only bad thing was this little tidbit about Sebastian and Isolde, who were constantly talking and smiling with one another. I wasn't the only one a bit put off by this weird show of emotion between two demons; Ciel was confused as crap about it as well. We both knew about their history of being "friends" but…we still really wanted to know more.

Which leads me to the present day, in which I am in Ciel's office watching him do paperwork (which, I believe, he has an addiction to considering that he always does it) and waiting for him to finish so we can discuss Sebastian and Isolde. I had been a bit miffed when the young aristocrat had walked into my room after dinner the day before to ask me to meet him in his office the next morning so we could talk. In a way, I was happy Ciel was no longer ignoring me. But on the flip side, I was kind of sad that Ciel was only talking to me again so he could gain something from it. Sigh…oh well.

"Are you almost done?" I asked for the third time, stretching out my legs and arms as I lay on the carpet in Ciel's office. Believe it or not, but it was more comfortable than the chairs he had.

"No, be patient!" Ciel snapped.

"But I don't wanna~!" I sang annoyingly to the tune of the song "I Am Not A Whore."

"Aura, for God's sake, why can't you be more…serious?" Ciel sighed, putting his paperwork down and gazing at me with his pretty blue scrutinizing eye.

"Because this way I'm more lovable?" I guessed, shrugging. "We've been over this already Ciel; it's just the way I am."

Ciel rolled his eye and sighed again. "I suppose I might as well learn to live with it. So," He tapped his fingers on the wooden desk, and I noticed not for the first time just how cool his big-ass blue ring looked. I wondered what kind of gem it was; sapphires weren't usually that dark, were they? "what do you propose we do in order to learn more about Sebastian and Isolde? As demons, they're going to be very difficult to sneak around."

"Yeah, tell me about it," I mumbled, thinking back to when Mey-Rin and I had failed epically at being ninjas and had fallen out of the closet together while trying to listen to the two demons' conversation about various ways of cleaning. Raising my voice, I suggested, "Why don't we just be upfront and ask them about it? I mean, it can't hurt to be curious. Plus, I'm getting a bit pissed at Sebastian," I added, narrowing my eyes crossly. "If I'm supposed to be his battery, why isn't he taking the time to - how did he phrase it earlier? - help my soul 'mature'? Sure, I don't really look forward to dying a horrible death while he sucks out my very essence, but I'd appreciate it if the prick would tell me how it was going to happen. I don't like being in the dark!"

"I think you're just jealous that my butler is spending more time with that female demon rather than you, Aura." Ciel pointed out mischievously, smirking at me when my face reddened.

"W-what are you implying, you brat?" I demanded, crossing my arms. My brain flashbacked to the dream I had when Sebastian and I had been making out, and my face heated up even more.

"That you're developing a bit of a crush on Sebastian."

"I AM NOT!" I exploded, waving my arms frantically to prove my violent denial. "Why the hell would I have any sort of romantic notions towards that fucking bastard? He's cruel, awful, makes fun of everything I do, probably wants to feel you up and as your adoptive older sister I abhor that with my entire being - " - at that, Ciel went a bit pink and looked really embarrassed - " - plus Sebastian's just a dickhead. Plain and simple. If I was going to fall for someone, it'd be a guy with a romantic mind who would always be there for me. He'd have to love me no matter what, and accept all my faults. And he'd have to have a face that was a blend of Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Brad Pitt." I was panting after my little rant.

Ciel rose an eyebrow. "Like that's not pushing it. I don't even know who those men are, but I'm guessing that your standards for a perfect lover are much too high at your age. Honestly, Aura, tone down your expectations for a bit."

"You did NOT just give me advice about how I should plan my sex life out," I gaped at the twelve year old earl in shock. "Dude, that's just creepy. You probably haven't even had your first crush yet!"

"You can't possibly have any knowledge of that," Ciel argued with a little huff of indignation. "Besides, Sebastian could probably be all those things that you just listed if he wanted to be."

"Sebastian can't look like Johnny, Orlando, AND Brad! He may be 'one hell of a butler,' but I highly doubt even he can pull that off." I shot back, totally not believing the fact that I was actually having this argument with CIEL PHANTOMHIVE of all people. Seriously, what the fuck?

"See? Your expectations for a man are too high!" Ciel smirked at me again. "You've basically just admitted that to me."

"…Ciel, shut the hell up before I shove one of Finny's garden shovels up your ass," I muttered, feeling the urge to crawl under a rock and die.

"Personally, I think it's quite amusing how you're obviously pining after Sebastian like that reaper does," Ciel chuckled, crossing his fingers and placing his chip atop his hands. "Even if you yourself haven't realized your affections, it's quite clear to those of us around you."

"I don't have a thing for Sebastian, for the love of crap!" I considered throwing something at the smirking brat before me. "If I did, would I insult him as much as I do?"

"Perhaps. So you could hide the fact that you're falling in love with him."

I smacked my forehead and groaned with exasperation. "I cannot believe this conversation turned from learning about Sebastian and Isolde to you insisting I have a fucking CRUSH on your asshole for a butler!"

"Bocchan? I have your afternoon tea ready." Well speak of the devil and he shall appear. Sebastian opened the door (Without knocking! How rude! Hmph, he probably didn't knock because he's "one hell of a butler" and all that good crap.) with a tray of tea and cake. Noticing my undoubtedly flustered and crimson face, the handsome demon butler rose one elegant eyebrow and asked, "What brings you into the young master's office? You aren't…doing anything inappropriate to him, are you?" That last bit was added in an amused tone that just made my blood boil and set my teeth to grinding themselves down to a fine dust of calcium.

"Like hell I would! That's YOUR job, you child pedophile!" I snapped, averting my eyes from staring at Sebastian's admittedly sexy face. "Now if you would excuse me, I have some things to do."

Before I completely exited the office, however, I heard Sebastian say in a stage whisper to Ciel, "Bocchan, I believe Miss Aura has taken a fancy to you!"

Red with rage, I whipped my head around and snapped at the black-clad demon butler, "GET BENT, SEBASTIAN!" With that, I slammed the door to Ciel's office shut and stomped to my room, where I pretended that my phone hadn't lost its charge and I was texting Zoe about my "wonderful adventures" with the cast and crew of her favorite Japanese show.

What joy, huh.

**X~X~*~X~X**

A couple days later after Ciel had accused me of having feelings for Sebastian - which I was beginning to think I might be possible developing them just for his gorgeous face, but that was it, I swear! - Ciel's fiancée Elizabeth decided to show up. Yeah, surprised the shit out of me too. I didn't even KNOW Ciel was engaged. He was too stuffy for that. But, low and behold, the young girl and her maid Paula arrived at the manor with a surprise for him apparently.

Elizabeth was this cute little angel of a girl, with blonde hair that reminded me of Zoe's that she had in perpetual curly-Q braids on either side of her head. She had bright green eyes and wore this a-fricken-dorable dress, and had the personality of a high squirrel. Actually, she was like Zoe in her younger days. Odd. Anyways, apparently during my sulking in my room, there had been this festival going on to celebrate winter on the Thames river, and Elizabeth had gotten a present for Ciel while there. (By the way, evidently Sebastian and Ciel had gone there as well, but of course with me being a walking, breathing vegetable for the past couple of days I had not been made aware of this)

"Ciel! I got a present for you!" Lizzie gushed, smiling happily and twirling a small box in her hands that she kept behind her back. "For your birthday!"

"Whoa, it's your birthday?" I asked, surprised as I walked into the foyer. I had heard all the squealing and had come down to investigate. Lizzie and her maid gave me "Who the crapple-sticks are you?" looks but I ignored them and pouted at Ciel. "Why wasn't I informed of this, Ciel?"

"It's not my birthday YET," Ciel protested. "And I haven't told you anything because you've been hiding out in your room for the past forty-eight hours!"

"Yes, Miss Aura, and Isolde and I have had to do all the chores by ourselves," Sebastian pointed out in a mock-hurt voice. Isolde nodded in agreement, ever present by his side as she'd been for the entire week so far.

"Touché," I muttered, ignoring Sebastian as best I could and surveying the young blonde girl in front of me. "And who's this?"

"I'm Elizabeth, Ciel's fiancée!" She piped up in a cute voice. "You can call me Lizzie, though. And who are you?"

"The name's Aura Monray; I'm new in the roster for the Phantomhive servants." I introduced myself, giving her a peace sign. " 'Sup?"

"Lizzie, just ignore her," Ciel told his fiancée in a slight exasperated tone. "What did you say you were here for again?"

"To give you - " Lizzie broke off and stared at Ciel's hand before grabbing it and staring at the same blue ring I had been admiring a couple days before in his office. "Wait a minute - I thought I had broken this ring! Did you get it replaced or something?" She asked, giving Ciel a shocked look.

"Sebastian mended it," Ciel answered quickly, pulling his hand away from Lizzie's and peering at Sebastian with an eye that said "Make something up, dammit!"

"Yes," Sebastian bowed, placing a hand over his chest. "If I could not achieve such a simple task, then - "

"What kind of butler would you be. Yes, yes, I've heard that more than once." Ciel waved him on.

Sebastian smiled. "You took the words right out of my mouth, my young lord."

I noticed that Lizzie's face had saddened a little. "Oh…" Looking behind her back, I also noticed that her grip on the strange box had tightened. I wondered what was wrong with the kid. Shoulders slumping for a brief moment only, Lizzie's eyes instantly brightened and she said, "Paula! The bells!"

"O-oh, right!" Paula, a pretty brunette who didn't look all too bright if you asked me, fumbled for two jingle bell holders and shook them, making the foyer ring out with a pleasant sound. "Jingle, jingle, jingle!"

"Merry early Christmas, happy early birthday!" Lizzie called out to Ciel, yanking on Paula's sleeve and tugging her towards the door. "I'll stop by soon, okay?"

"W-wait, Lizzie! What about the surprise you were talking about?" But Ciel's inquiry was wasted on an empty doorway as Elizabeth and Paula raced out the door as if the hounds of hell were chasing after them. A bewildered look plastered on his cute face, Ciel turned to Sebastian and asked, "What was that about?"

"The spirit of the season, I suppose." Sebastian mused. Sliding his reddish-brown eyes to me, he said, "Aura, how about you go play with Pluto for a little bit. Isolde and I will take care of dinner tonight."

"But why do I have to be the one to entertain that accursed demon hound?" I whined. "Finny is so much better with him than I am!"

"Finny, Bard, and Mey-Rin are busy doing their actual jobs, unlike you have been." Sebastian reprimanded harshly. "Now hop to it, or else I shall be forced to take extra measures so that you'll finally begin to do your duty as a Phantomhive servant."

"Don't worry, Aura; I'm sure Pluto will much more pleasant now that the temperature has gone down." Isolde patted my shoulder in a way I supposed she thought was comfortingly. "And if you are in need of assistance, all you have to do is yell for me and I shall come to help you."

Mumbling something about how much I despised demons and Pluto, I stomped off to appease the damn dog and bask in my woe-is-me self pity that I felt coming on.

**X~X~*~X~X**

"PLUTO! BAD DOG! BAD!" I shrieked, running with all my might as I felt a burst of heat right against the back of my legs. The fact that I was wadded up in winter clothing didn't really help with my speed, either. Terrified tears running down my face and freezing almost instantly in the frigid air - pretty much the only thing I hate about winter - I jerked to my right and threw myself out of the way as about three hundred pounds of demon dog landed right where I had been only mere milliseconds before. Smirking in victory, my grin quickly turned to a horrified gape when the giant hound didn't miss a beat and transformed into the same naked human form I hated with a burning passion before jumping me and slobbering all over my face as he straddled me down with a happy bark.

Apparently Pluto thought it was fun to terrorize me by breathing fire at my ass, chasing me around the yard, pretty much sexually harassing me with his hot naked man body, and trying to lick me to death when I was giving up my precious time to occupy him with my awesome presence.

"Woof!" Pluto whined and nuzzled my chest with his head, further burying me into the snow even more than I already was.

I blushed and struggled to push him off, but it was to no use. He was just too heavy. "Pluto! Get the fuck off!" I snarled, trying to ignore the part of Pluto's anatomy which I knew I should not have been feeling since I was only sixteen and…well, you can probably get what I'm talking about. "Stop sexually harassing me for shit's sake! Seriously! I'll go away and find some nice kitten to play with rather than your smelly canine ass!" I threatened.

That seemed to penetrate into his stubborn doggy brain, and Pluto's excited face instantly turned all sad and lost puppy-like. With a depressed whine and a shake of his shaggy white hair, Pluto crawled off of me and sat his naked butt into the snow, just staring at me with those crimson eyes of his. Feeling a bit creeped out at the fact that a nude demon hound was pretty much checking me out (well, that's what it felt like to me at least) I blurted out, "What? Do I have something on my face?"

Then I felt really retarded for talking to Pluto like he could answer. Actually…maybe he could, I wasn't really sure.

Pluto smiled happily again and gave a short bark. If he had been in his dog form, I would have bet he would have been wagging his tail. "Okay, how did that make you all happy? Seriously, dogs are so weird…" I trailed off, realizing with a jolt just how adorable Pluto was looking right now. With that carefree toothy grin, all I wanted to do was…hug him…

Which I promptly did.

"Damn you for being so freaking cute!" I sobbed into Pluto's hair as I squeezed his muscular body with my arms. "But why can't you be a demon cat instead of a demon hound…?" I sniffled and cursed myself for actually trying to hold a conversation with Pluto. Guess my mental health is slowly declining during my stay here, eh? I blame it on all the shit Sebastian has put me through.

As if my thoughts summoned him, low and behold Sebastian came walking towards Pluto and I wearing a fancy overcoat that reminded me of something out of that Sherlock Holmes movie staring Robert Downey Jr. Who, by the way, is smex on a cracker in my opinion. Instantly releasing the naked demon hound in humiliation, I tried to look as if I hadn't just been gushing over my newfound need to call Pluto cute and called out to Sebastian, "What the hell do you want NOW Sebastian?"

"Oh my, I never imagined that you would not only fall for Ciel, but Pluto as well?" Sebastian peered at me with bemused eyes. "You're quite the little minx, Aura. Is that how your time period has raised you?"

"S-shut up!" I snapped, flipping him off as yet another blush rose up un my cheeks. God, being around Sebastian and Ciel really gave my blood vessels a work out. "Asshole!"

Sebastian gave a low chuckle, but then his face became serious at once and he looked pointedly at me. "As much as I enjoy watching you become flustered by my company and outstanding charisma - " - A bit full of ourselves, aren't we Sebastian dearest? - " - there is a serious matter at hand that I've come to inform you about. Plus, I will be needing Pluto to assist me." Sebastian shuddered slightly, and I couldn't help smirking at how much displeasure it gave him to work with the demon hound.

Instantly wiping the smirk off my face when Sebastian glared at me with eye-daggers of doom, I asked, "What's so serious that you're giving up enjoying my pain and torment?"

"The young master's fiancee, Lizzie, has gone missing."

**Grell: *bursts into tears* WHY WASN'T I IN THIS, DAMMIT? WHY?**

**Yuki: You'll be in the next chapter, Grell! Don't worry!**

**Hannah: We love you too much to not have you pop into this story every once and awhile.**

**Grell: *sniffles* And are you going to let me kiss Sebastian with tongue soon?**

**Hannah and Yuki: WHAT? O/O**

**Grell: *turns to the readers* Please, my dearest lovelies; if you review, I may be able to show my darling Bassy my affections! Please! I beg of you! Let that happen! My beautiful face has been waiting far too long to make a reappearance in this fan fiction, and you are my only hope! **_**Plus if you don't review, I'll be forced to take desperate matters and reap your soul…**_

**Aura: *face palms* Grell, stop being such a drama queen…if you threaten the readers with that, then they WON'T review! Anyway, I'm pretty damn sure I'LL be the one to be kissing Sebastian with tongue at some point - OH FUCK, DID I JUST SAY THAT OUT LOUD?**

**All the other Kuroshitsuji characters: JUST END THE GODDAMN AUTHOR NOTE ALREADY!**


	9. That Girl, Investigating

**Yuki: Sorry for the late update! School's been AWFUL and I've been working on my Hetalia: Axis Powers story. Hannah's just been lazy.**

**Hannah: Have not! I've had homework like you!**

**Yuki: *stares pointedly* YOU HAVEN'T TYPED A SINGLE THING SAVE FOR A FEW CHOICE PARAGRAPHS SINCE WE BEGAN THIS.**

**Hannah: Because you keep doing all the work because you're paranoid about writing!**

**Yuki: …ah. Touché.**

**Hannah: *sigh* Please enjoy chapter nine and thank you for all the reviews and whatnot so far.**

_**Chapter Nine**_

"I have the strange urge to bust out in the Secret Agent Man theme song and act like I'm from the Matrix. Oh! Even better, I could say cool lines like 'We are the men in black' and stuff. What do you say, Ciel?" I asked the young Earl, who was looking pretty fed up with my constant chatter. Hey, I was a tad freaked out at being in London in the dead of night, so I was going to talk to my heart's content.

"I think you should be quiet," Ciel answered, pulling on Pluto's leash and tugging him in a different direction since the demon hound had stopped to sniff at a wall with a sheen of green mold growing on it.

"Well, you're no fun." I pouted.

Let's roll back the clock a bit to explain just what the snicker doodle dandies was going on: after Sebastian had told me about Elizabeth's mysterious disappearance, he had also added that he and Ciel were going to go look for her. They were going to use Pluto to track her down, since he was a demon dog and could smell her scent and all that good stuff. Me, being the lovely ray of sunshine that I am, had thrown a slight hissy fit that involved the use of many rude titles towards Sebastian demanding that he let me come with. The demon butler had relented, eventually, but I could tell that Sebastian was pretty annoyed with me. Hey, there was no way in hell that I was going to be left behind on a rescue mission involving Ciel's fiancée. I was going to plan their wedding, dammit! Oh, and of course Sebastian had gone off ahead of us to scout or something. Also, Isolde was tagging along with him while our respective groups were looking for Lizzie. No surprise there.

So that was basically what was happening right now. Sounds fun, doesn't it? Yep. All sorts of fun. Here I am with only a slightly snobbish adolescent British aristocrat and a demon dog with a sexy human form (By the way Sebastian had forced Pluto to wear a cool suit during this little adventure; I was grateful for that) for company, looking for a lost little girl who reminded me of my best friend who was back in my own time. Add to the fact that we were in the heart of downtown old timey London in the dead of night, you had one lump of a blasty blast.

So. Much. Fun. NOT.

I was terrified that some rapist was going to jump out at us and make Ciel his bitch while Pluto watched happily and I screamed and ran like the little coward I am. So far, so good; the only scare had been when a cat had jumped out of an alley and screeched like Cerberus the Hellhound was on its tail, resulting in Ciel and I having to hold Pluto down with all our strength as he tried to go after it.

"Pluto, can you please just sniff out Lizzie already?" I begged the demon hound in a low voice. "Seriously, I'm not very fond of midnight strolls…"

"Scared of the dark, are we Aura?" Ciel asked with a bit of a smug smirk.

"Shut up, Shorty! There could be a child pedophile ready to rid you of your innocence - I hope you still have it and Sebastian hasn't deflowered you like I fear - and then sell me into a lifetime service of human trafficking."

Ciel stopped in his tracks and slowly brought a palm to his forehead, shaking his head in a disgusted manner and sighing. "Honestly, what DO they teach you in the future? The art of being blunt and over-exaggerators?"

"…maybe…" I answered with a shrug. "Sorry, I just sort of say what comes to my mind. I have, like, no filtering system. Haven't you figured that out yet?"

As an answer, Ciel knelt down beside Pluto and held out his hand. In his gloved palm was a orange ribbon - one that I recognized vaguely. With a start I realized Elizabeth had been wearing it in her hair when she had stopped by earlier today. The demon dog sniffed, snorted, and shook his shaggy silver hair. Then with an excited yelp, he took off at the speed of light, dragging a surprised and obviously not prepared Ciel with him.

I stood alone in the spot that had been previously occupied by two others beside me for as few seconds, then blanched. "I'm…all alone…in the dark…in freakin' London. …oh. My. God. C-ciel, wait for me! I DON'T WANT YOU TO GET RAPED!" I screamed the last part and ran in the general direction I hoped Pluto had dragged Ciel in. Well, it helped that the twelve-year-old was yelling obscenities at the demon hound from wherever they were at, so I could follow the sound of his voice.

By the time I reached Ciel and Pluto, however, (By the way, running through the streets of London in the middle of the night during the winter while you're bundled up like a toddler on a snow day is not as easy as it sounds) the two were halted in yet another alleyway. In front of them I could hear a flamboyant voice saying, "Oh, he's a cutie. Why does this brat get all the gorgeous men, dammit?"

I knew that voice…but from where? Where, where, where…Oh, right! It was that Grell Sutcliff guy who was also Jack the Ripper and the Grim Reaper, and I liked him! Because Sebastian didn't! "GRELL!" I yelled happily, flinging myself at the crimson-clad man as Pluto suddenly took off again. This time Ciel wasn't holding onto the leash, though.

"Dammit!" I heard him yell as he chased Pluto down.

I grinned up at Grell, hugging him tightly. Every girl needed a gay bets friend, right? "Hi Grell!" I giggled. "How are you?"

"Aura, darling!" Grell gushed, hugging my back. "I've been waiting for a chance to meet you again! Have you devised a plan to make Sebas-chan fall for me yet?" He asked with a hopeful gaze in his odd golden eyes.

I shook my head. "I've…been a bit preoccupied." How was I going to tell him that not only was there a sexy female demon now working under the same roof as Sebastian was, and my sorta-kinda crush on the bastard? Answer: I wasn't going to. Plain and simple. "But it's been in the back of my mind this whole time!" Okay, so that was a bit of a white lie. I'd mostly been thinking about ways to piss off Sebastian and how I may be falling for him.

"As long as you're still planning on helping me, I adore you immensely." Grell grandly proclaimed.

"Thanks, I like being adored." I felt all happy inside. Gay best friends were fucking beast! Suddenly as I heard Pluto howl, I remembered why I was skulking about this late at night. "Shit! I forgot we were trying to find Lizzie. Sorry, Grell - gotta go."

"Wait! I'll come with you," Grell said, following me as I ran in the direction of Pluto's howl. "After all, I may have the chance to see my darling Bassy!"

I nodded and kept running as fast as I could until Grell and I reached Ciel and Pluto. The two were standing in front of a little shop with a bunch of dolls in the display window. I shuddered, suddenly getting a most evil and foreboding feeling from the place. It was reminding me of those evil doll movies, the Chucky series. "Hey Ciel, why'd you stop here?" I asked him as I settled next to him.

"Pluto just suddenly stopped, so I guess - " Before he could finish his sentence, however, Pluto interrupted Ciel by jumping in through the window and shattering the glass completely. Ciel and I gaped as the demon hound barked and disappeared into the darkness of the store.

"Wait a moment - I recognize this place!" Grell snapped his fingers. "This is the puppeteer shop of a main named Drocell Keinz. A few years ago we reaped his soul, though…I wonder why that cutie would lead us here."

"Us?" Ciel asked in confusion. "What do you mean, 'us'?" But Grell ignored him and walked to the door, trying the handle.

"The door's open," Grell said from the doorway, twisting the handle and making the little door bell thingy jingle. We followed him inside. Once there, we found Pluto growling playfully and shaking a doll from side to side as he gripped it into his mouth.

"What do you have, Pluto?" Ciel waltzed over and held his hand out. Pluto dropped the doll into his outstretched palm and happily whined when Ciel patted him on the head. "Good boy." He walked back over to me and Grell and inspected the doll closer. Immediately his face hardened and his eye widened. "This…this is…"

I looked at it more closely as well and almost shit my pants. "Holy fuck - it looks like Lizzie!" And it did. The doll had curly blonde hair, green eyes, that pink dress I thought was absolutely adorable on her, and…whoa…it even had the same orange ribbon Ciel had used to track her down. "Anyone else getting the feeling that there is one hell of a boss hidden somewhere here?" I tried joking to lift the dark mood that had settled over Ciel. "Good thing I came equipped with a lot of Phoenix Down!"

Apparently my role-play game oriented joke was lost on Ciel and Grell, who just looked at me blankly. "You guys suck for not getting that clever Final Fantasy reference," I pouted, slumping my shoulders sadly. Clearly I was going to need to stop basing my funny lines on things from my home, because if I kept doing that absolutely no one here would understand my aesthetics. Life is so cruel…

Ciel walked over to a back door that I just realized was there. Opening it, he looked outside and back to us. "There's a manor of some sort behind this shop." Ciel stated a bit blankly. I think the possibility of Elizabeth being kidnapped and hurt were starting to get to the poor kid. …I wanted to hug him…

"Well, let's get our butts moving and check it out!" I proclaimed, pushing past Ciel and walking out into the courtyard thingamajig. Shut up, that is a completely acceptable word in the dictionary that is my brain. "All in favor of being kick-ass ninjas for the night, say 'aye'! And do it in a Scottish accent, preferably." I smirked a bit as I added the last sentence. What? Scottish accents make me giddy.

Ciel face palmed yet again (if he kept that up every time I spoke, the kid was going to have brain damage sooner or later) but Grell hopped up and down. "Aye! Aye!" He nodded excitedly. Pluto barked and wiggled his butt like he still had a tail in agreement.

"Grell, if you're going to be accompanying us, then I'm giving you an order: you must protect me at all costs." Ciel ordered a bit snappishly.

Grell crossed his arms and huffed indignantly. "And why should I let a brat like you boss me around, hm?"

"I will allow you to do whatever you want with Sebastian for one entire day."

The look on Grell's face was priceless. Almost like he had just seen the wonders of the Internet and had found a bunch of free gay porn. "A-anything I want?" He squeaked. Ciel nodded, looking a bit like he was starting to think that his demand wasn't the best idea. "Can I…kiss him?" Grell asked sheepishly, going a bit pink and twiddling his thumbs.

"It's your decision," Ciel responded uneasily.

"With tongue?" Grell's face brightened hopefully. I was trying not to laugh at this whole exchange despite the funny feeling in my stomach - I couldn't really be jealous of Grell possibly getting the chance to make out with Sebastian, was I? I mean, if you thought about it, the asshole and I had already gotten to second base in that horrible dream I had had before the entire Isolde thing happened. So I shouldn't have been getting all fidgety as Grell practically begged Ciel to let him mouth-rape his demon butler.

But I was.

"It's your goddamn decision!" Ciel repeated, his face flushing a bright red. The young aristocrat turned around purposefully and pointed to the crumbling mansion in front of us. "Now let's get a move on."

"Onwards! To the creepy manor of death and despair!" I marched forward. "And most likely a dragon that is guarding Bellatrix Lestrange's Grignott's vault!"

"Aura, please stop with all the weird references no one gets." Ciel muttered as he followed behind me. "They're positively annoying and pointless."

I just grinned.

**X~X~*~X~X**

"It's not very welcoming in here now, is it?" I asked as we looked around our surroundings. All four of us had busted into the manor and were now at a loss for what we were going to do next. Plus, that creepy feeling was coming back again, only this time it was about six times worse. I was starting to get freaked out, actually. Very freaked out. I wonder if Grell would mind if I held his hand…?

"Tacky and tasteless," Grell stuck his tongue out at the plain white and blue room that reminded me of a hospital with its blandness. "Would it kill them to throw in a splash of gorgeous red here and there? Then again, I suppose this place HAS been abandoned for awhile…"

"Where should we go now?" Ciel asked. "There are some doors over there, but…"

In the center of the room was a pedestal with a little girl on it. Okay, as if that isn't weird…especially when she just stared at us blankly.

"Pluto looks like he's smelling something," I gestured to the demon hound, who was indeed sniffing around with a curious look on his face. "What is it, boy? What do you sense?"

As if an answer to my question, the little girl suddenly stepped down from the pedestal and locked eyes with me. She was dressed in the norm for a Victorian-era rich kid, and had a ring that looked almost exactly like Ciel's kick ass blue one. Ciel's eye widened in shock. "She's one of the girls that's gone missing lately!"

"What?" I asked. "There's been a whole case of these kidnappings?" I swallowed the lump in my throat and watched as the girl's unnerving, unseeing eyes seemed to survey us all.

Ciel nodded, watching warily as the girl slowly stepped forward. Her walking was odd - almost as if she was being controlled by puppet strings attached to her feet. "Sebastian and Isolde are off investigating them right now; I suspected Lizzie was a victim of them, but I…" The young earl trailed off and clenched a fist. "I'm getting a bad feeling about all this."

Before Ciel had even taken a breath after that sentence, the strange girl suddenly leapt at him with an unexpected speed. I screamed a tad, Grell yelped in surprised, Pluto snarled, and Ciel's face turned pale as the girl's hands wrapped around his throat. "C-ciel!" I stammered, rushing over and trying to yank the doll off. Her grip was iron strong. "Get off of my adoptive little brother you bitch!" I snarled, not really caring that I had just called a little girl the b word.

No one messes with Ciel fucking Phantomhive when I'm around.

Ciel struggled to say something but with the girl's hands tightly around his neck it came out as a feeble warble. Snapping to Grell, "Help me, you idiot!" I tugged on her dress as hard as I could. When Grell joined in, the combined strength finally managed to get her off. She was flung to the side and stayed there in a limp unmoving pile, then eerily got up just like Pinocchio on puppet strings. She craned her neck to one side and for some reason the simple gesture just looked really eerie and unnatural to me. Then it hit me - this girl looked exactly like the dolls in the window of that shop Pluto had led us to. Plus, she moved exactly like a marionette would. _She's…she's a freaking animated doll!_ I thought with a start. And with that thought came one of my worst nightmares, which I promptly informed Ciel, Grell, and Pluto about. …by screaming, of course. "Oh my God, it's the night of the living dummy!" I sobbed, latching myself to Grell and shaking. "KILL IT! KILL IT!"

Grell grinned triumphantly, whipping out his little shearing scissors. "As long as I get to cut something up, I'm game!" He jumped into the air, snipping his shears proudly. "Die! Welcome to the afterlife!"

"W-wait! Grell, don't - " But Ciel's plea was too late. Grell quickly slashed at the little girl's neck and she fell down just as she was about to throw herself back at us. Ciel's mouth gaped in shock as her head rolled off a bit and sawdust seeped out of the wound.

"Not bad, huh?" Grell made a weird pose like some supermodel and flashed his sharp teeth in a cocky smirk.

"She was just a doll…" Ciel muttered, sounding a bit mystified.

"Grell, you saved me!" I threw my arms around the man and sobbed happily. "I hate living dolls…it brings back so many bad memories of having to sit through Chucky marathons with my creepy cousin!"

"Mud and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away…" My head snapped up as I heard a disembodied voice singing a tune familiar to "London Bridge." Ciel and Grell looked up too, and a door opened to reveal a hand holding a candle holder. As it got closer, the hand turned out to be attached to an arm, which was connected to a body, which had…a hot face. He was wearing a blue overcoat and looked kind of eccentric - he had this weird tattoo on his cheek and shaggy orange hair underneath a hat with a couple of feathers stuck inside it. "What a useless doll," He said in an emotionless voice. "She was an utter failure." He stepped forward a bit more and added, "So then I thought to myself, make them considerably stronger then this."

"Why does it feel like this place is crawling with gorgeous men?" I demanded as my creepo-meter began to go off the charts. "And am I the only one getting a REALLY bad feeling?"

Grell and Ciel didn't answer as the man began to sing once more: "Build it up with iron and steel, iron and steel, iron and steel. Build it up with iron and steel, my fair lady…" A bunch of dolls began to appear form behind him through the door, and all three of us gave a collective gasp.

"I've seen them before," Ciel whispered, backing away slightly.

"I'm not going to let anyone take away my day with Sebas-chan!" Grell yelled angrily, beginning to run at them with scissors in hand.

"Hold on Grell, wait!" Ciel and I both said in synchronization, even though I think both of us knew that it wouldn't have any effect.

"TAKE THIS, DOLLS!" There was a sharp sound like metal on metal, and Grell stumbled backwards as one of the dolls blocked his scissors with her arms. She was completely unharmed. _I knew I should have never watched those movies,_ I thought, shivering. I'd never been a fan of dolls after that little fiasco with my cousin Derek and the Chucky marathon. Oh the joys of being an eight year old with a fourteen year old boy… "I-I couldn't cut them!" Grell pointed out obviously in a shocked voice. He was looking a bit miffed. The dolls began to advance towards us like a line of soldiers on a battle field. The hands on the one he had tried to attack were showing since her gloves had been ripped, and I could clearly see metal skin.

"That's not normal for dolls!" I backed away to join Ciel and wanted nothing more to be back at the manor. If I had know this little recognizance mission would be involving evil dolls and a creepy hot guy who evidently controlled them with his voice, I would have stayed back and did laundry or something. Seriously: I. DON'T. LIKE. DOLLS. I like LIVING dolls that want to KILL me even worse.

"Grell, this is an order," Ciel began as he stared at the sight in front of us. "You and Pluto stay here; play with the dolls. Keep them occupied for as long as it takes." I cast a glance at Pluto, who was obliviously chewing on a doll that was most likely non-metal and non-alive.

Grell nodded uncertainly and the same doll he had slashed at suddenly threw a punch at him. Shrieking, Grell blocked her with his high heeled boots and pushed her back. Ciel grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the door that the doll master had come out of. "You're going to leave me here?" The redheaded man cried out indignantly. "How inhuman of you!"

"I'm the inhuman one?" Ciel snapped back, making a crack about Grell being the Grim Reaper no less. You know the more I thought about it the more it confused me: how in the hell does one like Grell get put in charge of harvesting the souls of the dead? I mean, I loved him like a gay best friend, but really. He doesn't seem too qualified for the job.

"Ciel, where are we going?" I asked as we ran up some stairs. "Do you even know?"

"No," Was his simple answer. He didn't say anything more. Staring at his face as my feet flew up step after step, I noticed a change in his normally calm features. Ciel looked like he was thinking very thoroughly about something; I was going to put my money on that one doll looking like one of the kidnap victims. I also was betting that all the other dolls had the same strange coincidence. "Lizzie…" Ciel muttered suddenly, shaking his head slightly. His eyes narrowed.

I wanted to say something encouraging but I had no idea what would help in this situation. So I just stayed quiet until we burst through yet another door into a wide room that looked sort of like a fancy dance floor. I could just imagine gussied up British nobles waltzing across the shiny floor to some classical tune.

"Ciel Phantomhive…" The same voice as the doll guy echoed throughout the room We both stopped and looked around wildly. Above us on the upper level sat the guy whose dolls we had just escaped. "You are indeed a beautiful specimen."

"FUCKING PEDOPHILE!" I snarled angrily, grabbing Ciel and holding him tightly. "No one touches my adorable fake little brother, you hear?"

Ciel mumbled something incoherent but annoyed sounding into my shirt and pushed me away. The doll guy continued on as if I had said nothing. "I'll have to make you into a worthy doll of a most precious beauty."

"What have you done with Elizabeth?" Ciel demanded. He looked a bit shaken up at the man's strange words.

"I'm going to have so many nightmares after this, it's not even funny." I muttered, fidgeting uncomfortably under the doll man's piercing gaze.

"What material shall we use for you?" The man asked, tipping his hat down. "Clay will wash away too easily, but iron is far too crude. So then, I thought to myself…" Ciel began running in the opposite direction, heading for the side on the other side of the ballroom. Giving the man sitting on the banister an uneasy glance as he began to sing "Build it up with silver and gold, silver and gold, silver and gold," I raced after Ciel.

Ciel made it to the other side and threw open the door just as I reached him and just when the man sang, "My fair lady~…" All I could see was darkness on the other side of the door. Then suddenly, Ciel's eye widened and he placed his hands over his ears, flinching for some reason and racing right through even though it was pitch black.

"W-wait! Ciel!" I held my hand out to him and tried to chase him, but suddenly a voice entered into my mind and made my insides coil in fear.

"_You're unclean._" It whispered, wrapping itself around my heart and squeezing it until I could barely breath. "_Not fit for silver and gold, nor any other pure substance. Mud would do you just fine, you dirtied soul…unclean…unnecessary…unwanted._"

"What the fuck?" I leaned against the wall and felt my way forward. The voice became more insistent, more paralyzing.

"_Demon fodder," _It whispered mockingly as I slowly advanced forward. I had lost sight of Ciel in the darkness of whatever corridor-like place we were at. "_You don't deserve to survive if it is just to continue the life of one of hell's spawns._"

"Shut up," I hissed through gritted teeth, wishing the pain would just go away. It felt like my mind was on fire. I heard Ciel's sharp intake of breath from somewhere in front of me, and I suddenly felt my feet elevating as I stepped onto some more stairs.

"_Silver and gold!"_ The voice shrieked inside my mind. "_Silver and gold!"_

"SHUT UP!" I screamed back, stumbling forward and running into Ciel's back. He suddenly rushed forward and there was light as he pulled me through yet another doorway, and the two of us leaned the closed door, panting. "What…was that?" I whispered, relaxing slightly as the odd constricting feeling disappeared.

Ciel didn't answer, instead looking straight ahead of us with a shocked expression. I followed his gaze to the floor where an odd symbol was etched into the carpet. I had no idea how to describe it. All I knew was that it made Ciel go pale and absolutely terrified. "I will never know a happy birthday again…" Ciel whispered to himself, as if he had forgotten about me. "Never!"

The wind kicked up a bit and the curtains at the window fluttered about. I shivered as the winter air engulfed the entire room. "Truly, Bocchan…nothing happens on your birth date. Does it?" At that slightly bemused voice, I stiffened and stared as the curtains fell back to their original position. "You lost your parents, your home…and this time, you stand to lose Lady Elizabeth." The curtains fell back all the way and none other than Sebastian stood behind them against the phantasmal crescent moon.

I hated to admit that the whole scene made him look extremely attractive.

"Sebastian!" Ciel exclaimed in slight shock. The fearful child had been replaced with the petulant earl just like that.

"W-wait, I thought it wasn't your birthday!" I said, trying to ignore Sebastian's "Come hither" look. Well…maybe he wasn't REALLY making a seductive face, and my hormones were just in overdrive due to the terror of almost being killed by living dolls, the creepy guy who wanted to make Ciel into a doll, and the weird little incident on the stairwell with the mysterious moon. "You lied!"

"Well, when I told you it wasn't my birthday, technically it wasn't," Ciel muttered. "But now that it's well past midnight, I suppose that the day is indeed my birthday now."

"…you suck." I pouted. "Now how am I supposed to throw you a beastly birthday party?"

"Childish as ever, I see." Sebastian bemoaned gently, shaking his head in disgust. Ciel slightly mirrored his butler's look as he too rolled his eye at me. "Humans…You certainly are a most troublesome specimen of them all, Aura Monray."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded, placing my hands on my hips. I was trying to dispel the fear that had engraved itself into my system after that whole adventure that I had just had. Thus, I was replacing it with good old fashioned stubborn rudeness.

"We have more important things to worry about that your pride, Aura," Ciel snapped. He glared at Sebastian, whose eyes were shining wine red in the moonlight. "Take what you said back, Sebastian. I don't appreciate you taunting me like that!"

"Still a child as well, through and through." Sebastian mused. I realized that Isolde was no where to be seen. Opening my mouth to ask the male demon where his female company had run off to, I suddenly felt as if the entire world was spinning like a ballerina smoking weed. I stumbled and pitched forward, fearing that I would crash face first into the floor as my legs buckled beneath me and my eyesight turned spotty. A pair of strong arms encircled around me, and I turned my head up to meet Sebastian's burgundy-hued orbs. "Someone a bit tipsy?" He asked, cocking one eyebrow inquisitively.

"No!" I shot back, wincing when the word caused a bout of discomfort to shoot through my brain. It was like the unknown voice was back in my mind again, almost. "I just…feel all weird…" I brought my hand up to my head and wondered just what the hell was wrong with me. Everything around me had turned to sepia colors for a brief moment before my eyes fluttered shut so I could relax in darkness. My body began to get all numb as if someone had pumped morphine into my system, but it was a type of morphine that didn't chase away the throbbing pain in my head. I fumbled for some insult to throw at Sebastian as he adjusted my body in his arms, but nothing was arising in my oh-so-clever mind.

And what do you know, I passed out. Again. Because apparently that was becoming my thing - passing out in Sebastian's arms.

**Yuki: I'm so sorry this was late! My internet got shot because of a thunderstorm about halfway through writing this chapter so we had to wait until it was fixed to put it up…**

**Hannah: And she was too lazy to come over to my house to upload it.**

**Yuki: No, I was busy having a history party on a World War II ship and making Hetalia references every chance I got! …and I was kind of too lazy…But I AM uploading this right now at a friend's house when i'm sipposed to be doing a project. DAMN INTERNET IS STILL DEAD AND IT'S BEEN 3 DAYS.**

**Hannah: See how she is, readers? *shakes head sadly* Anyway, we hope this chapter was fun even though you've all watched this episode countless of times most likely. We put a bit of our own twist on it, however, so we could slide Aura into it. We hope she didn't seem to Mary Sue-ish in this chapter because of that. Review, please, and thank you for all the support so far!**


	10. That Girl, Comprehending

**Yuki: Before we start this chapter, a little note: we didn't really quote straight off from the episode this takes place in because we were too lazy to re-watch it. **

**Hannah: Plus we like what we came up with better. We could be anime script makers one day!**

**Ciel: Keep dreaming, you two. Keep dreaming.**

**Aura: HEY! Be nice to my mothers! Technically their your mothers too since you're my adopted little brother now.**

**Ciel: O_O I NEVER CONSENTED TO ANY OF THIS!**

**Hannah and Yuki: THANKS FOR OVER 150 REVIEWS SO FAR~!**

_**Chapter Ten**_

Apparently my body decided that it didn't like passing out suddenly for no reason, so as abruptly as I had fainted I awoke right away. Still in Sebastian's arms, no less. Only this time instead of being in that room I remembered passing out in, we were on a bridge over a frozen stream. Well, I think I woke up right away. I don't really know since I was unconscious and all that. Anyway, as soon as my eyes shot open I was extremely aware of the slightly disastrous feeling in the air. "What happened?" I asked, craning my neck to look up at Sebastian. His eyes were in their pink cat mode and looking extremely amused. "And why the hell are you holding me?" I wasn't in the mood to summon all my bitchiness and let the demon butler have it.

"You fainted. I caught you." Sebastian answered, setting me down when all I did was glare at him.

"Dammit, Sebastian! Answer me!" Ciel snapped, looking extremely pissed. I guess that's where all the stressful emotions were emanating out from - his little adolescent mind. But he looked so cute when mad…it made me want to hug him more than I already did. You know what? I just realized I sound like a creeper whenever I say stuff like that. I should probably stop, then. "You disobeyed my orders. I specifically told you to investigate about the kidnappings. Did you forget about Lizzie?"

"I most certainly did not, Bocchan," Sebastian bowed, a gesture that was somehow a mixture of both humbleness and mocking Ciel. "Have you forgotten that the contract between you and I comes before any order you give me? Your safety and wellbeing is my highest priority. I have always made that clear. Besides," Sebastian's gaze turned from Ciel to the mansion behind us. "I have already scoured the entire manor for Lady Elizabeth. She is nowhere to be found, which leads me to believe she is in the tower just a ways away from it."

"Uh, hold up here," I put my hand up in confusion. "What happened while I was passed out? Why are we just standing here when it's kind of cold and dark instead of being inside that nice warm manor? Even though there was the creepy doll guy and his magical living killer dolls…" I shuddered at the memory of that.

"We're out here because of that man. Drocell Keinz," Ciel said to me. "He found us upstairs and told me that I was…what his master apparently desired. I've been chosen by this," He held out his hand to show me the blue ring on his finger. "This is a shard of the Hope Diamond. According to Drocell, it is what marks a target to become…one of his master's dolls."

"NO!" I screeched, latching onto Ciel and hugging him tightly despite my earlier thought about hugging him all the time. "I will not allow it! You're too cute to become one of those disturbing marionette thingies!" I looked over at Sebastian, who was staring at my display of sisterly affection with an annoyed raise of his eyebrow. "Aren't you going to comment about how you have to protect Ciel at all costs, Sebastian? Come on, contribute here! You're his butler, dammit!"

"I wouldn't want to intrude on this lovely display of adoration you hold for my young master, Miss Aura." Sebastian answered stiffly, narrowing his eyes at me.

"You're just jealous because Ciel's getting a hug from the awesome me and you aren't." I stuck my tongue out at the demon and "nah'd" very immaturely before letting Ciel go.

"I really need to get a restraining order against you," Ciel muttered, brushing his coat off as if I had cooties. Oh no, the horrors of feminine contact! Quick, get the Germ X and shove all the guys in quarantine, lest we infect them with our girlyness!

"And if you did, I would find a way to get around it," I pointed out cheerfully. "No one can resists my hugs of awesomeness. No one. Well, maybe Sebastian, because he IS one hell of a butler," I added the last bit sarcastically.

"Why thank you, Miss Aura," Sebastian placed a white-gloved hand over his chest, as if touched by what I had said. "I can feel overwhelming joy in my heart that you hold me so high in esteem."

"Your heart is a black hole filled with nothing but asshole-ness and rudeness," I snapped back, crossing my arms. "You wanna get into an argument, Sebastian? Because I'll win. Even if you are one hell of a butler, I'll win. 'Cause arguing with those older than me is a skill I excel in from being a teenager."

"Punishing rude children is a skill I excel in from being one hell of a butler." Sebastian replied easily.

"When you two are finished releasing sexual tension, we have my fiancée to locate and a kidnapping case to resolve." Ciel deadpanned.

I yelped in a high pitched voice and felt my face flush as red as a chili pepper. Staring at Ciel in utter horror and shock, I stammered, "S-s-sexual t-t-tension? You think…we're…f-f-flirting?"

Even Sebastian was looking a tad uncomfortable and abashed. "Bocchan, I regret to inform you of this, but I assure you that is entirely the opposite. I loathe this human girl more than I care to say - the only reason I haven't disposed of Aura yet is so I can make sure her soul matures enough to be truly powerful when the time comes."

Ciel rolled his visible eye. "I'm not so ignorant in the ways of romance that you could fool me with that response, Sebastian."

"No! I agree with this bastard completely! We're not flirting - not in any way, shape, or form. We're voicing our hatred for each other," I quickly said before anyone else could step in. "No love between Sebastian and I! None at all. It's complete and utter abhorrence."

"Teenagers," Ciel muttered, shaking his head sadly. Raising his voice, the young earl said, "Let's make our way to that tower you were speaking of, Sebastian. I'd prefer to get this over with as quickly as possible."

"Hey, what do you mean 'teenagers'? You're a teenager now, too!" I pointed out. "You've been one for at least an hour by now."

Ciel didn't answer. Instead he began to walk in the direction Sebastian was going. Still furious and very, VERY mortified at the conversation that had just taken place, I had no other choice but to follow behind Ciel and Sebastian and hope that nothing like this would ever happen again. But I couldn't forget that tiny little voice in the back of my mind that kept repeating over and over as I walked: _Maybe Ciel's right._

Maybe I really was falling for that asshole Sebastian, whether I liked it or not.

**X~X~*~X~X**

"BASSY!" Grell screeched excitedly, throwing himself at Sebastian with exuberant tears cascading dramatically down his cheeks like waterfalls. Pluto, however, pushed him out of the way and jumped Sebastian instead, licking the demon butler on the cheek with his long slobbery tongue. I couldn't help but smirking at Sebastian's disgusted expression as he cradled the demon hound like a baby in his arms.

"What is this abomination doing here?" Sebastian demanded in a low voice, looking pointedly at Grell who was sobbing sadly on the snowy ground.

"I made a deal with him - Grell promised to protect me if I let him have his way with you for a day." Ciel answered, looking slightly mischievous.

We were standing right in front of the tower that Sebastian had said Elizabeth might be held prisoner in, and imagine our surprise when we heard Pluto's barking from awhile away. Grell was with him, too, and it wasn't too shocking when the first thing he did when he saw Sebastian was try to glomp him.

The look on Sebastian's face was priceless. "You did…what?"

"Sebas-chan, when I kiss you, can it be with…tongue?" Grell asked hopefully, fidgeting.

"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about," Sebastian sighed. "However I can tie a cherry stem in a knot only using my tongue."

"…OH YEAH, BABY!" Grell did a double fist pump in the air and hopped around with glee, nose bleeding profusely.

I cleared my throat and pointed to the tower. "Are we going to go in there or what? It's way past my bedtime, and I'm starting to get twitchy and cranky."

"It's locked," Grell said, regaining his composure as much as a gay guy can. "I've already tried it."

"Well, good thing we have exactly what we need to open it then," Sebastian mused. He dropped Pluto and waved him off. "Be a good boy, now, and open the door."

"How is Pluto going to - " Ciel was cut off as Pluto transformed back into his demon hound state and howled at the moon. His collar started to glow a weird blue-green, and the door did the exact same thing. Pluto raced at the door with an alarming speed. I gaped when the door to the tower suddenly just opened very simply and Pluto leapt through the opening elegantly, little flecks of the odd blue-green glow scattering about as he did so.

"He's a demon hound?" Grell asked in shock.

"Well, DUH. Seriously, it took you this long to figure out?" I pushed the grim reaper towards the tower and rolled my eyes. "The barking and canine like ways didn't clue you in?"

"I was mostly concentrating on his sexy face," Grell admitted in an embarrassed tone. "Have no fear, my dear sweet Bassy! You are still the one for me!"

"See, Sebastian? Someone DOES care for you, despite your arrogance and asshole tendencies!" I grinned knowingly at the demon butler.

"I'm overjoyed," Sebastian responded dryly. "Bocchan, we should hurry before the intense stupidity of these two rub off on you." He began to walk into the tower with exaggerated grace. N-no, I wasn't staring at his ass as he - …okay, yeah, I sort of was watching Sebastian's butt. So sue me. The guy has a nice ass. It's probably to sum up his whole personality in one word: "asshole-ness."

"Agreed," Ciel nodded and followed his butler inside.

"Hey, what am I, chopped liver?" Grell fumed, stomping right behind the young earl. Glancing around myself uneasily into the cold winter night, I marched right on through the tower's door as well. I sure as hell wasn't hanging around out there all by myself - it was creepy.

Anyway, our little ragtag group of rescuers (not including Pluto because he had managed to disappear and was most likely chasing a doll cat around or something…I dunno, he's a demon dog) made our way through the tower until we entered this one room that was lit by a few torches. The first thing I noticed when we got inside was all the broken doll parts scattered on tables and benches. The brick walls had things like "silver" and "gold" written in chalk and scratched out many times on them. At the end of the room sat Lizzie in her pink dress and bonnet, her head hung low against her chest. "Lizzie!" Ciel and I yelled in shock. Ciel ran over and knelt down beside the blonde haired girl. "Lizzie," He shook her shoulders carefully, then a bit harder. She wasn't answering; her eyes were tightly shut.

"Oh my, it looks like we're too late," Grell said in a voice that wasn't quite enthusiastic.

"Wake up…" Ciel muttered, leaning into Lizzie's figure a bit more. "Damn you, wake up!" The tiny catch in his voice made me feel so bad for the poor kid. I was overcome by yet another urge to tackle Ciel down in a hug but I knew this wasn't the right time. "Lizzie, wake up!" He yelled again.

This time, Elizabeth's eyes did open and she slowly looked at Ciel. "Where…?" She murmured dreamily, sounding dazed and confused.

"You've finally awoken…" Ciel sighed with relief, holding a hand up to his chest. Okay, seriously, someone get me a tissue because Ciel was just so freaking cute to me right now it wasn't even funny.

"That's the ring."

"What?" Ciel looked at Lizzie in confusion.

Elizabeth nodded at the ring he wore. "So did you like it? My present?" She smiled softly. "That makes me happy."

"That was her present to you. The one you didn't open." Sebastian said to Ciel as Grell yawned boredly. I kicked the red haired man in the leg and glared at him with eyes that hopefully said something along the lines of "Be nice!"

"…stupid…" Ciel shook his head. "You didn't have to."

Just as all the warm fuzzy feelings inside of me were escalating to the point of where I was going to yell "HALLMARK MOMENT!" I heard a sound that sounded like string being pulled tautly and one of Lizzie's arms yanked up unnaturally. We all froze and watched in alarm as Elizabeth's body suddenly rose into the air in a jerkish fashion. As if on cue, the creepy doll guy, Drocell's, voice echoed throughout the room. "Or did she?"

"My Spidey sense is tingling and I'm betting that there's going to be another army of murderous puppets that pops out at us," I whispered, glancing at Sebastian and Grell. Well, if there were more dolls, at least I had these two guys to protect me. …who am I kidding, Sebastian would just help Ciel and Grell would try to do something dirty to Sebastian. I would pretty much be on my own for that. Oh, who am I kidding, if Drocell set those dolls on us again I was going to flip shit and go pirate ninja on them, then run like hell.

"Why is her body moving all by itself?" Drocell asked. Elizabeth looked absolutely terrified as her limbs swung helplessly in the air. "And why…" An ax suddenly came flying through the air into her hands. "Is she going to hurt you all?"

_Not good, _I thought, swallowing a scream. _Not good at all. _This was exactly like some bad horror movie. I should have known my time as demon crack would be short and sweet. Well, maybe not the sweet part. But definitely short. Goodbye, cruel world…!

"What's happening?" Ciel cried out as Lizzie rose into the air a bit more and hefted the ax as if she was going to swing the heavy weapon at him. "What are you doing to her?"

With a dismayed cry of "NO!" Elizabeth flew at Ciel with the ax in hand. "Sebastian!" I screamed uselessly as the demon butler sprang into action and grabbed his master, leaping from side to side as Lizzie continued to swing the sharp ax at him. She kept on repeating that sentence - "NO!" - and Sebastian just kept dodging her with Ciel in his arms.

"Grell, you're the Grim Reaper, aren't you?" I grabbed onto his coat. "Don't let Lizzie or Ciel die! I'm planning their wedding!"

"Relax, Aura, neither of them are on the to die list yet," Grell waved a hand unworriedly at the scene unfolding in front of us. It was like he didn't care. My assumptions were correct when the next thing he said was, "Why should you be worried about brats like them, anyway?"

"Because they're my friends!" I shot back, appalled with Grell's lack of sincerity. "They're just little kids, Grell. Why the hell shouldn't I freak out when something like this happens?"

"Look sharp, Grell," Sebastian warned before Grell could retort. "Don't you see what's going on right now?"

"I suppose so," Grell huffed. "But I would hate to break a nail if I joined in."

"…I disown you as my gay best friend." I muttered. "No longer will I try to make Sebastian fall for you! Good luck trying to woo him on your own."

That seemed to get Grell in the mood to help.

"Out of the way!" He yelled, pushing me and whipping out his scissors. "I can't let a little girl like you get in the way of my passion for Bassy," Grell said to Lizzie, who was currently being held in place by Sebastian holding onto the ax. "Nor can I forgive you for wielding a better blade than I. Take this!" The red-haired man grinned a devilish smile, showing his sharp teeth, and sliced at Elizabeth almost as if he was going to kill her. I wanted to scream profanities at him, but all Lizzie did was fall to the ground with a soft grunt. No blood appeared anywhere, even though I knew Grell had cut her. Or…had he cut something CONNECTED to her?

Ciel knelt down next to Lizzie right away. "Is she all right? What just happened?"

"String." Sebastian stated, holding up a thin piece of string that was resting on Lizzie's dress. "A puppet string, more precisely.

"Only a death scythe could have cut it so beautifully and efficiently!" Grell proclaimed proudly. "Well, Sebastian? Am I not amazing?"

"Well done," Sebastian replied, a bit grudgingly. "Perhaps you should learn to run with scissors more often."

"I'm just flattered to death!" Grell smiled happily.

"That was a shitty pun, Grell." I pointed out. I was still a bit pissed at him for being so indifferent about Ciel and Lizzie possibly dying. Just then, a thought hit me. "Hey, Sebastian, can you see where the string leads to? I remember when we first saw Drocell, he controlled his dolls with string. Maybe this will show us where the dude is!"

Sebastian nodded and looked up into the rafters. No surprise when Drocell's voice rang out amongst them, "So then I thought to myself…" All of us were suddenly entrapped in string, stuff that sliced right into your clothing and into the skin as well. _Are you fucking kidding me? _I thought, struggling to get out. It just made the bonds tighter and more painful. _I don't wanna be Pinocchio! I'm a real girl! _"I have a handful of new dolls at my disposal, now. What materials shall I use for them?"

"Indeed," Sebastian said. "And what materials, exactly, are you made out of?"

Drocell's violet eyes widened slightly. "Me? Why, I…I'm not too sure. What am I made out of?"

"Well, I'm not sure either. Whatever materials were used, however, don't appear to be of the highest quality." Sebastian sneered somewhat.

"OH! BUUUUURN!" I smirked. "Don't get too cocky about that, Kitty Eyes. I bet you're just learning insults from _moi._"

"You have no modesty, do you?" Ciel shook his head in vexation.

Drocell ignored our bantering. "Oh my, so then I thought to myself…I have always believed that I was human. But lately I've found termites crawling out of my ears. Isn't that odd?" He scratched his head in confusion.

Suddenly, like the British demon butler ninja he was, Sebastian kicked the ax up into the air with his foot and with a loud grunt, he aimed it at the puppet master standing on the rafters up above. The blade hit Drocell in the chin and he began to wobble. The distraction was enough to make Drocell release the strings tying us all down. "Now, Grell," Sebastian commanded.

"Oh, Sebas-chan! We'll work together as one!" Grell proclaimed gleefully, making a move as if he was going to throw himself at Sebastian. "United by lo - AGH!" He was cut off by Sebastian using Grell's face as a trampoline and hopping off towards Drocell up in the ceiling.

I hated to admit it, but that whole thing had been pretty cool. Leave it to Sebastian to show off, and look damn sexy while doing so. "Fucking demon," I muttered hotly, crossing my arms stubbornly across my chest as I watched a badass fight scene unfold.

"You are utterly lacking in style and grace," Sebastian commented loudly, swinging the ax over Drocell's head. "You're no butler, nor will you ever be." With that, he pretty much axed poor Drocell in the face. Like on that one video The Cloak by the guy who made Charlie the Unicorn. Only minus the blood. It was cool. Yeah, sorry, that's all the descriptive I can be on this, my mind is pretty much blown by the sheer epicness of it all.

Drocell's body fell to the ground on top of Grell. Sebastian stylishly leapt back down and bowed low to Ciel, who was currently holding an unconscious Lizzie. I took a moment to appreciate Sebastian's poise and hotness before laughing at the irony of Grell being owned by a dead body when he was the Grim Reaper. "I could never lose to someone to utterly and completely below me," Sebastian said proudly.

"That's my Bassy! So sexy and stylish!" Grell cuddled up against Sebastian's legs lovingly. Ciel and I looked at each other and sweat dropped.

I stared at Drocell's inert body on the ground. Straw was coming out of his head. "So, he was a doll, too…" Ciel murmured.

"His name was Drocell Keinz. His soul was collected five years ago, but we still detected signs of his existence." Cue the Twilight Zone theme music.

"He must have been fitted with a transient soul by someone," Sebastian mused aloud. "But by who, exactly? His master?"

"C-Ciel?" We all looked down at Lizzie lying in Ciel's arms. Her eyes were fluttering open.

"You're awake," Ciel stated obviously. I think his brain was still a bit frazzled by what had just happened, actually. "Let's get you home."

"I want to give you…a real birthday party." Elizabeth murmured sleepily, smiling up at him. "Can I?"

"Ciel, if you don't say yes, I personally will do it for you, and you know it'll be embarrassing." I warned before the young earl could answer.

Ciel looked at Lizzie in surprised silence. Then, he nodded slowly. "Okay." His tone was quiet and reserved. "You can rest easy now, Lizzie. I promise."

"It appears he isn't done yet," Sebastian interrupted the cute little scene between Ciel and Lizzie that I was secretly recording in the camcorder of my mind. We all looked over at Drocell, who was indeed getting up, albeit a bit stiffly.

"I thought…to myself…" Drocell's speech was stiff and harsh, just like his posture and walking. "I must go…report to my master…"

"Oh my God, this guy just WON'T FUCKING DIE." I stated, staring at Drocell as he slowly stepped over to a set of doors that I just realized was there. "Someone give me a match or something so I can show him how Americans treat kindle. Or, better yet, one of Bardroy's firecrackers." I was joking a little, of course. But not entirely. Even though Drocell was hot and most likely just a puppet being controlled by someone else, he still scared the shit out of me with his killer dolls.

"Perhaps I judged him too hastily," Sebastian said, face impassive yet impressed. "He may be one hell of a butler."

With a weak murmur of "Master, it's me," Drocell pushed open the doors and fell to the ground. On the other side was a big open room with a single chair facing the windows, its back to us. Pluto was curled up at the foot of the chair.

"Anyone know why Pluto's here?" I asked, genuinely confused. Everyone else looked like they were thinking the same thing. Well, not so much Sebastian because he enjoys keeping his emotions locked up inside of him.

Pluto saw us come in and woofed gentle, licking the hand that I just noticed resting on the chair's arm. "Why is he being so friendly?" Ciel wondered, echoing my same exact thoughts. Oh my God, we're telepathic! This proves our sister-brother bond! …no? It doesn't? Well…go suck my nonexistent dick, haters, because Ciel and I will be siblings one day if it kills me. Chances are, the way things are going, it will.

"I'm terribly sorry." A deep, male voice that made my hair stand on edge suddenly came from the chair. It sounded familiar but…where could I have possibly heard it from? "My butler's incompetence prevents me from offering you hospitality."

"You're the one behind this?" Ciel stated the question flippantly. "Why would you want to turn little girls into dolls?"

"Please tell me I'm not the only one suspecting the answer is going to have something to do with him being a sex offender with a doll fetish," I prayed out loud, not really caring what anyone thought. "Because if I am, it's going to make me feel like the one with issues here."

"Perfection is so difficult to obtain," The man continued as if I hadn't added my comment. "And when it is achieved, it is fleeting. Doll making is noble work, an art that preserves that which is pure in this world. Dolls are perfect little people, forever stranded in the sea of time."

"I'd hate to agree; those brats were anything but perfect," Grell sniffed indignantly.

"They were creepy and going to give me nightmares for weeks!" I agreed.

"I'm no one's doll." Ciel suddenly yanked off the second blue ring that I just noticed he had on. Oh, so that's what Lizzie meant by present…wait, when the hell did he get it? …obviously, I missed a whole chunk of vital information whilst I was floating in dream land. But I don't think I even dreamed… "I will never be a part of your collection." Saying the last word with a sneer, Ciel threw the ring at the back of the chair. "Here's your ring back!"

"Whoo, go Ciel! Defy the law!" I congratulated Ciel with a clap on the back. He turned to glare at me in annoyance.

"You ought to learn your place, boy…" The guy sitting in the chair said in a dangerous tone. "You as well, demon fodder. Filth…"

"…what?" Ciel and I both said in dual shock.

"My butler's head was filled with straw. He could not comprehend why I wanted you, Ciel Phantomhive. The manner of your demise has been fated since your birth. As for you, Aura Monray…" I stopped making rude gestures to Mr. Chair Dude when he said my name and stood up straight in panic. "You have been destined for this, as well. It truly is a shame…to watch two pure souls go so wasted to filth such like the demon you keep company with. Your bodies…they are unclean."

"Excuse me! I take a bath every fucking day! Who the hell are you calling unclean?" I snapped angrily, ready to say more. I noticed Ciel's face, however - it had gone completely pale, as if he was relieving some horrible moment of his past.

"How could you possibly know about that?" Ciel demanded.

"I cannot allow someone like you to live in this world," The guy said in a mysterious way. "Both of your existences are desecrations unto this beautiful world. Unclean…unnecessary…unwanted." Okay, THAT I recognized. It's what the creepy voice in my mind had been saying when Ciel and I had ran up that one flight of stairs! So…maybe…this guy was that voice? _I don't feel so good,_ I thought queasily, resisting the urge to throw up. Everything was starting to get…scary now. I didn't like it. At all. "I will wipe the two of you from this earth and cleanse it of everything impure."

I just kind of stared in shock at the back of the chair with a dry mouth.

"Snuff it out…" The chair began to shake. "He is unclean; she is impure. Unnecessary! Unwanted! End them, end them, end them, END THEM!"

"Stop talking!" Ciel shouted angrily, running at the chair. I followed suit because hey! The bastard had called me dirty! I was in no way unclean; I was still one hundred percent a virgin!

Ciel and I got to the front of the chair and were met with a startling sight - Mr. Chair Dude was just…a coat with a sack for a head. On its lap was a little wooden figurine that reminded me of the Joker from Batman. It sure had the creepy smile…

"It's a puppet," Sebastian stated in a surprised tone as he and Grell came up from behind us.

"I've had enough of fucking dolls and puppets!" I hissed, clutching onto Grell's red coat for support because I was feeling faint. My Spidey senses were off the charts, and I was pretty sure this was just the start of some antagonistic force hell bent on "cleansing" the world of Ciel and I. But why…? Just why?

So imagine my unhappiness when the little figurine in the puppet's lap twitched and then got up, causing Grell to shriek a little, me to scream very loudly and jump onto Grell's body and latch onto him as I had done before, and Sebastian and Ciel to flinch. Its painted face turned demonic and started to laugh insanely before jumping off and running away.

"Sebastian! Go catch that thing!" Ciel ordered shakily.

"The one pulling the strings is elsewhere, Bocchan," Sebastian replied. "It wouldn't do us any good to give chase." He looked around, surveying the room. "Now I see…there were hidden strings throughout the room. How very unpleasant." Sebastian glanced at Grell and I, who were pretty much acting like Shaggy and Scooby-Doo. I'd rather not say just who exactly I was channeling at the moment. "Honestly, you two, cease with your incompetent fear."

"That's easy for you to say!" I snapped, silent tears flowing down my cheeks. "You didn't just get told by a fucking puppet that he was going to kill you! Nor were you the victim who witnessed an army of living dolls made out of little girls who tried to kill everyone! Oh, and might I add that lovely little tidbit about me being demon crack and how apparently it's now pissing someone off? I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE SCARED SHITLESS RIGHT NOW, THANK YOU VERY MUCH!"

"And what, pray tell, is Grell's excuse?"

I glanced at the reaper whom I was clinging on to. Grell's face was one that resembled someone who had just walked in on their seventy year old grandma fornicating with their sixteen year old brother. "Um…he's gay?"

I probably deserved it when Grell dropped me in response.

**X~X~*~X~X**

"BASSY! It's time for our kiss!" Grell threw himself at Sebastian - yet again - in hopes of hugging him or something. Sebastian, holding the still unconscious Lizzie, merely bent down so that the red-clad man flew right over him.

"Well now, Bocchan, what now? Would you like me to avenge Madame Red for you?" Sebastian asked Ciel.

Grell, going pale, laughed nervously and fidgeted uneasily. "Ehehehe…on second thought, the kiss can wait for later." Grell hopped up into the trees and blew kisses at Sebastian, waving. "Bye-bye, Sebas-chan~!"

"HEY! GRELL! We should have a sleepover at the Phantomhive manor soon!" I called after the reaper.

"Wait - Grell!" Sebastian glared at me. "Do NOT encourage him, Aura. Or perhaps you would prefer if I were to punish you?" The thoughts that ran through my mind at that were definitely along the lines of creepy and fan girlish, and frankly just really scared me that I even thought them. To hide my discomfort and humiliation, I stuck my tongue out at Sebastian and flipped him off.

"Knock it off, you two," Ciel snapped, stroking Lizzie's cheek tenderly. "Lizzie's here. I don't want her to see anymore bloodshed."

I couldn't help it. It was so cute, the way that Ciel obviously cared for Lizzie in more ways than one despite how hard he tried to hide it. They were absolutely perfect for each other. It was official: I was going to plan Ciel and Elizabeth's wedding if I survived for that long. And because I thought that the whole thing was so flipping adorable, I wasn't really surprised when I found myself unintentionally yelling happily, "HALLMARK MOMENT!"

Hey, I had been up for over twenty-four hours. Add to that the night I had just had full of deadly dolls and ominous premonitions of my apparent termination, my brain was a bit fried.

**Yuki: See? We didn't fully use all the dialogue from the episode nor did we include everything. But frankly, we think this chapter turned out pretty well. Ooooh, drama. Fun, eh?**

**Hannah: I still think it would have been fun to do the birthday party bit…We're doing it next chapter, right?**

**Yuki: *nods* YUP! Because it's going to be fun and the opening of chapter eleven!**

**Hannah: YAY! By the way guys, we absolutely adore CielXLizzie. We do agree that on her own Elizabeth is an annoyance, but she and Ciel are so freaking cute. **

**Both: Now please review and thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! BYE NOW!**


	11. That Girl, Sneaking

**Sorry for a late update! This chapter is going to be kind of short but slightly crackish and maybe a tad bit fluffiliscious - can't guarantee it for the fluff though. This is sort of a filler chapter until we brainstorm for more bigger and better ideas. The reason this is late is because this week was homecoming week for Hannah and I, so we were preoccupied with that stuff. Plus we procrastinated. Because that's just how we are. ^_^ By the way, Isolde is returning in this chapter finally…although I bet most of you forgot she even existed. (That's okay - we did too for a few days. ^-^;)**

_**Chapter Eleven**_

"HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY, CIEL!" I screamed, hugging the now thirteen-year-old boy tightly and squealing with delight. "Now you're finally old enough to be told the ways of the birds and the bees! Aren't you excited about that? Huh? Huh? I bet you are!"

"I'm going to ignore that. Please get off, Aura." Ciel muttered, looking obviously annoyed with me and like he was trying not to have Sebastian throw me out. He stuck a spoon coated with ice cream into his mouth and began to lick it off with reluctant boredom.

"Ciel, you look so positively handsome!" Elizabeth squealed, also throwing her arms around Ciel and squeezing him like she was milking a cow's udder. Now there's an odd comparison. Weird. Why did my mind think that? Oh yeah, probably 'cause of all the sugar I just ate since there's a lot of pastry like food around here for Ciel's birthday. Damn, they made good brownies here. Or at least I think that was a brownie I had, like, five minutes ago.

"Come now, young master! Be more happy, yes!" Mey-Rin cooed, throwing confetti around. "Birthday parties are supposed to be fun, yes they are!"

"We did this all for you, young master! Smile!" Finnian added, dancing around in a circle and blowing on one of those birthday party blow things. I have no idea what their proper name is.

"I've got th' cake!" Bardroy proclaimed happily, kicking the door of the kitchen open and stomping out in a burned apron carrying a likewise burnt birthday cake that was riddled with candles. Whipping out his flame throwing device (you know, the more I thought about it the more suspicious I got - did they even HAVE those in the 1890s?) he pointed it at the cake. "D'ya want me to light them candles now or later?"

"NO!" We all yelled in horror. I yanked the fire maker away. "Bad Bard! BAD! No burning down the house on Ciel's birthday, it's just…" I trailed off as Ciel glared at me with his bright blue eye and his eye patch. _Shit, _I remembered with a mental face palm. _I forgot. That's already happened to him once before, hasn't it?_

"I've got an emergency cake already made," Isolde piped up obediently when Sebastian told Bardroy to get his burned piece of crap out of the mansion. "I was sort of expecting this type of situation to arise…no offence, Bardroy."

"None taken," The cook sighed sadly as Sebastian walked away with the smoldering garbage heap he had constructed.

Yes, as you can see, we were celebrating Ciel's birthday. We had just gotten back from saving Lizzie's ass from creepy puppet man Drocell Keinz, and of course she didn't remember any of it. But turns out the reason Isolde hadn't been with Sebastian when Ciel and I had met up with the demon butler was because the female hell spawn was at the manor preparing for Ciel's birthday party. Because she's one hell of a maid. Hardy har har, I made a funny. Anyway, it was all of us packed into the dining room of the Phantomhive mansion: me, Lizzie, her maid Paula, Sebastian, Isolde, the household servants, and of course the birthday boy of honor himself, Ciel. Since preparations had been a bit short on time, the presents weren't too fancy or anything. It was the thought that counts, though, right?

I still hadn't gotten over the very stressful meeting that Ciel and I had with the guy that was just a puppet. The one who called us "unclean." Seriously: it was fucking CREEPY. I was on a hit list just for being demon crack now? And who the hell would even KNOW that? Unless, of course, they were a demon themselves…but then they'd be wanting to suck my awesome soul out, not "end" me, right? …so…what was going on with that whole shebang? Anyone know? Because I sure as hell would like to know. I'm betting that I'm going to have a plethora of nightmares involving killer dolls and overzealous priests trying to baptize me so I was "pure" again.

But enough of that. Let's look at this lovely scene in front of us now, shall we? The one in which we are all crowding around Ciel as Sebastian hands out pudding to everyone because apparently in Britain, pudding is considered a birthday treat. I mean, I like pudding as much as the next person, but cake is a total birthday thing. And then warmed up with some ice cream and top it all off with sprinkles and that delicious Hershey chocolate sauce…mmm, heart attack/sugar rush in the making.

I'm rambling, I know. I'm sorry, like I mentioned earlier, I'm pretty much hyper right now. From all the sugar. Hey, I haven't gone to sleep yet today, I'm abusing the privileges of that and totally splurging on all the sweets I can. DON'T JUDGE ME, BITCHES, I WILL FUCKING SHOVE A DILDO UP YOUR ASS.

"Oh my goodness, Ciel! You got the ring!" Lizzie suddenly cried, jolting me from my thoughts.

_Ring? What ring? Oh god, not another ring that's going to mark Ciel as the next target for a guy with doll-o-philia…I wouldn't be able to handle that after the night I just had._ I looked up nervously at why Lizzie was freaking out so much.

Ciel was staring at his pudding-riddled spoon in confusion. There, right in the middle of the creamy substance, was a plain silver ring. I sighed in relief that it wasn't another blue diamond, but then paled when Ciel picked it up all the way out of the pudding since it was indeed yet another ring with a blue gem that looked suspiciously like a blue diamond. I looked to Sebastian for explanation since he was merrily (OH MY FUDGE CAKES, HE SHOWED AN EMOTION OTHER THAN CONTEMPT) smirking at his young master. "Is this another…special piece of jewelry?" I asked, my voice raising slightly in hysteria. I hoped Sebastian would understand by what I meant with the "special jewelry" comment.

"Of course," Sebastian answered. "It means that Bocchan has been blessed with happiness and good luck for the upcoming year."

"I'm so happy for you, Ciel!" Elizabeth clapped her hands together in delight. "Because you can be happy, too! Isn't that great?"

"I…suppose." Ciel acknowledged the ring somewhat contemptuously and set it down on the table before turning his attention back to his pudding. Isolde came in with another cake, this one much less deadly looking than Bardroy's had been. She placed it on the table and got out a knife, starting to cut it into slices and placing them on platters.

"I love birthday parties!" I exclaimed cheerfully to Sebastian since everyone else had begun to sing "Happy Birthday" to Ciel, much to his horror. It was cute the way he looked all uncomfortable and embarrassed. "Even when they aren't my own! They're so uplifting! And happy! And lovely! And…and…I've run out of adjectives." I added the last bit remorsefully, hanging my head in sorrow.

Sebastian looked a bit disgruntled. "Aura…are you…all right?" I noticed out of the corner of my eye that he had begun to scoot away from me.

To piss him off, I stepped closer to Sebastian. The glare he gave me just encouraged me even more. "Of course I'm all right! Never better! What, you've never seen anyone on a sugar high after they haven't slept for an entire day?" The black clad butler shook his head and began to look about, probably for a way to escape me I assumed. "Well, now you have," I proclaimed proudly, sticking my thumb against my chest. "Take a mental picture of my fucking awesomeness right now, Sebastian! SO YOU CAN GET HORNY OFF OF IT!"

After I said that, I began to laugh very hard and insanely until I dropped to the floor and rolled around like someone having a seizure. "I CANNOT LET YOU DO THAT, JOHN FREEMAN. BECAUSE YOU ARE A HEADCRAB ZOMBIE~!"

My fun was ruined when Isolde picked me up like a sack of flour and slung me over her shoulders, ignoring my protests and acting like me pounding her on the back didn't even hurt. Throwing her pretty black hair to the side, Isolde turned to Sebastian and said, "I'll take Aura to our room and have her get some sleep. After all, it is expected of a Phantomhive servant to do such a thing when another servant is making a fool out of themselves, correct?"

"You are indeed one hell of a maid, Isolde," Sebastian replied warmly, placing a hand upon his chest and bowing slightly. My eye twitched madly when he said that, but I continued calling Isolde all the mean names I could think of. Which, at the moment, consisted mainly of the words "carrot," "butt," and "carpet." Don't ask how I made them work; I just managed to do so.

"Correction, my dear Sebastian: I'm merely one devil of a maid." Isolde answered just as friendly, giving me a pat on the head before she began to walk up the staircase still holding me over her shoulders.

…she did NOT just say what I think she said. …she did, didn't she? …well…crap. As if Sebastian wasn't annoying enough, now we have TWO demonic house servants boasting about their powers from the underworld. Huzzah. This is so much fun. I'm so excited. Yay. Whoo. My sugar rush has depleted in my sadness. …depression.

**X~X~*~X~X**

"I don't wanna go to bed," I pouted, crossing my arms and glaring at Isolde with my icy blue eyes. Her burgundy hued ones stared right back at me as she pulled out my nightgown.

"Well, it's obvious you need sleep," Isolde replied calmly. "And I am simply looking out for your best intentions."

"I just consumed about three pounds of sugar," I stated. "I'm not going to be able to fall asleep for, like, a day."

"Would you prefer to have me assist you?" Isolde asked, cocking her head inquisitively. Her unearthly pretty face was twisted in a slightly sadistic way, making me scared as to what she was thinking about. "I know this lovely little pressure point that is guaranteed to send you into a very deep sleep - "

"N-no! That's completely fine, Isolde. You can go away now and have fun with everyone else at Ciel's birthday party while I sit up here all alone and twitch every two minutes due to my massive intake of sugar." I pointed to the door, motioning for the older woman to get out.

"You know, Aura…" Isolde smiled, a very feline-like grin that sent shivers down my spine. "I can sense your soul maturing. As we speak, in fact. It's becoming quite a delightful scent…you should watch yourself. There is no telling what lies ahead for you. Or for young master Ciel, either. Well, good night!"

With that, Isolde closed the door slowly so that it creaked eerily.

"…my nightmares are going to be worse than I initially thought." I blinked, pulling the covers over my head and crawling into a fetal position. "Thanks, Isolde. Just thanks. Way to make me feel better. Fucking demons…OH! GRELL! I can have that sleepover with him right now! It'll make me feel better!" I instantly brightened, throwing the blanket off and hopping out of bed. I was completely serious; who needed sleep when you could stay up for an entire day and night with the Grim Reaper - who just so happened to be crushing on the same guy (er, demon) that you might be developing feelings for?

"But I don't know how to contact him…" I muttered, staring out the window at the glittering snow in the front yard. A wave of sleepiness hit me at the exact moment, causing my eyes to droop shut and my knees to buckle.

_Fudge monkeys,_ I thought with a brain shaking yawn. _I dun' wanna go…to sleep…_

I mostly didn't want to fall asleep because I was worried of what dreams I would have. Honestly, I was absolutely terrified of dolls, and the night that I had just had was really going to mess with my mind. I needed some comfort blanket or my old stuffed kitty to sleep with.

Sighing, I stumbled back into my bed and closed my eyes, just letting exhaustion wrap its scaly claws around me and falling into a deep slumber.

And instead of describing my horrific dream that I had, I'm just going to give you the summary of what happened.

One: I was chased by Chucky the evil doll and fell down a hole full of giant spiders that turned into creepy men eerily reminiscent to Timothy Cullen, the man who almost stole my virginity.

Two: Ciel and I break danced to a menagerie of Black Eyed Peas songs and then I told him the meaning of life. Which isn't 42, by the way - it's 69.

Three: I shaved Sebastian's unique hairstyle and glued a Albert Einstein wig to his head, and then ran away laughing evilly while he shot a gumball gun at me.

Four, and I'm pretty damn sure this was the most terrifying and horrific moment of my dream: Zoe kidnapped me and dragged me to one of her anime conventions, where she dressed up like Ciel and I put on a Sebastian costume and a bunch of insane prepubescent girls swarmed around us and demanded in high-pitched squealing voices to…do kinky things. In the middle of the convention place. While people watched. With video cameras.

It was awful.

I am never, ever, EVER eating a shitload of sugar before bed again. NEVER.

"Uwah!" My eyes shot open and I bolted upright. The room was completely dark, and I could hear the sound of soft breathing from Mey-Rin's side of the room. Isolde's side was completely silent, however. Rubbing my eyes and trying to calm down my racing heartbeat, I tried to make out what the clock on the wall next to the window said. "2:30..." I read out loud. _So that means it's probably 2:30 in the morning and I slept the entire day away. Awesome. I feel refreshed now. Maybe I'll turn nocturnal!_

Deciding that it would do me no good to just lie in my bed for countless hours until sunrise, I slipped out of the covers and quietly snuck outside into the hallway. The only lights came from the candles lit along both sides of the walls. Careful not to trip over my long nightgown, I walked down the hallways and thought of what I could do.

My options consisted of three things:

I could either A) Find where Sebastian's room was and see if he actually slept.

B) Sneak into the kitchen and search for any left over birthday cake.

Or C) Find Isolde and make sure she wasn't plotting step by step how she was going to steal my soul.

Option A was very tempting. Option C, frankly, didn't sound all too fun because I was kind of scared as to what I would find. So, I settled for Option B because I was hungry and cake at 2:30 in the morning was always the best choice, no matter what.

My mind clearly set on cake, I made my way to the kitchen, a happy little smile gracing my awesome features as I rummaged through the ice box for any leftovers. I was surprised that I hadn't run into anything yet, since it was pretty dark down in the kitchen. The only light came through the bottom of the door from the candles in the hallways. Pretty much jinxing myself, I bumped my foot against the stove as soon as that thought passed my mind.

"Fuck!" I whisper-yelled, clenching my eyes shut and laying my head against the freezing surface of the icebox. My toe was throbbing with pain. Shutting the old time freezer's lid, I felt around until I found the table and sat down at it, massaging my foot and muttering obscenities into the shadows. "Goddamn it," I hissed.

There was a moment of lonely silence, and I sighed longingly.

"I'm bored…the manor is boring at night…and lonely…I guess I'll go find Sebastian now." I decided, abandoning all previous urges to devour whatever leftovers I could scavenge up from Ciel's birthday party. Leaving the kitchen, I wondered which way to go to try to find Sebastian's bedroom. There was a constant nagging in the back of my mind that told me it was most likely located near Ciel's - or hell, maybe even right INSIDE it - but some part of me wanted to ignore that. I still thought the demon bastard wanted to violate my precious little Ciel's innocence. Because he just seemed that much of a creeper. Even though Sebastian always acted all suave and gentleman-like, there was a distinct feeling emanating from him that made me really dislike him. And not just because Sebastian wanted my soul.

…or because I might be simultaneously falling in love with him while also hating him.

It was a love/hate relationship?

You know what, shut the fuck up. I never asked you.

"Now, if I were a demon butler who was lying in wait to suck out an adorable little boy's soul who has had quite a lot of issues in his life, where would I put my room?" I mused aloud to myself as I flitted down the hallways. It was sort of creepy in the mansion in the middle of the night. It felt like the portraits were staring at me. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if they were, with the way things worked around here.

I considered going outside and grabbing Pluto to have him sniff Sebastian out, but upon further consideration of that plan I declined. If I did do that, chances are the demon dog would spoil the element of surprise and alert Sebastian to my presence, and then I wouldn't be able to be all ninja-y and stuff. Because ninjas are the epitome of awesomeness, damn it!

Well, rather than going in depth with my incredibly boring trek though the dark and suspenseful hallways of the Phantomhive mansion in the dead of the night in which I sang Disney songs under my breath and did the Macarena out of pure tedium (Haha, fancy-ass word for "boredom") I'll get right to the point and narrate to where my night went from "blah" to "OH MY FUCKING GOD."

I had no idea where in the hell I was. The manor was way too freaking big to know exactly at all times where you were going. I was pretty sure I was around Ciel's office, though, because the décor looked similar to what I remembered walking by. As I passed a door that looked just a little out of place because it was painted black instead of the normal mahogany wood stain thing all the doors seemed to have going on, I heard some…questionable noises. At first I thought it was just my brain going into overdrive from being on a sugar crash (because the normal lethargic symptoms I got whenever I was spiraling down from a sugar crash were starting to consume me very slowly), but when I stopped to listened, I realized I had stumbled upon something I had never thought I would've come across in all my life.

It was Isolde.

And Sebastian.

In a room together.

Alone.

MOANING.

"What…the fucking…hell…" My jaw dropped open as I pressed my ear close to the door, not wanting to alert them to my presence. I chanced cracking the door ever-so-slightly and peeked in.

I probably should not have done that.

Sebastian and Isolde were standing in the middle of the room, which was completely empty save for an odd silver trunk right under the window. The two were wrapped around each other like a rubber band twisted around laffy taffy and sucking each other's face like a scuba diving suck on their oxygen tank apparatus. Moonlight poured into the room, bathing the two in a luminous and phantasmal glow. Their black hair glinted in the shining light, and their pale skin looked somewhat supernatural, like a vampire's. There was an occasional flash of bright pink, from their demonic eyes, I assumed. Suddenly Isolde moaned in a very…erotic…way and Sebastian murmured in a husky voice that I couldn't help finding utterly and irrevocably attractive, "Now, now, Isolde…don't get ahead of yourself. I don't want to take too much and have you fading out on me. I depend on you for your service, you see."

"I'm sorry, Sebastian," Isolde replied in a breathless tone. "You know…how hard this is for me…"

I surprised myself by not screaming or crying out in complete shock and horror. I surprised myself by not barging into the room and clawing Isolde's eyes out while ripping Sebastian's genital organs off. I surprised myself by simply stepping away from the door very quickly and laying flat out against the wall, not even caring if the two demons I had just witnessed making out realized I was there.

But most of all, I surprised myself by shedding a few stunned tears from what I had just witnessed as I slowly made my way back to my room in a gloomy cloud of emo.

**Blargh. That was sort of boring. Sorry, the next chapter will be much better. See? We did put fluff in here, although it's not…exactly what you all wanted. Oh, Isolde. You're so much fun to write. By the way, chapter twelve will most likely be featuring both the entrance of Soma and Agni and the sleepover will Grell. Be prepared for epicness of epic proportions. Thank you very VERY much for all the reviews/faves/alerts/overall support you guys have given us. Neither Hannah nor I imagined we would ever get this much traffic for this little fan fiction. Love you all!**

**~Yuki **


	12. That Girl, Bewildered

**LOL. You guys were pretty pissed about the whole SebastianXIsolde kiss, weren't you? Well, we don't really want to spoil it to you yet, but…let's just say there's more than one reason behind it. All will be revealed soon…in the meantime, enjoy this chapter! It will most definitely have the Grell sleepover in it! But probably not Soma and Agni in it yet, unless it's right at the end. Thank you so very, VERY much for all the support so far. It means the world to Hannah and I! **

_**Chapter Twelve**_

The next couple of days passed in blissful ignorance. I had no sense of time, space, smell, taste…everything was just a blur. I refused to come out of one of the many vacant rooms in the Phantomhive household after I had witnessed Sebastian and Isolde's little moment in the moonlight. I didn't tell anyone why I was so shaken up and unresponsive. I didn't even talk to anyone, much less want to look at them. I just wanted to be alone and never again lay my eyes on Sebastian fucking Michaelis.

I was so damn confused, though. I wanted to hate that arrogant, stuck up, assholish, infuriating demon with every fiber of my being. And not just because I saw him kissing Isolde - I felt like it was my duty to despise Sebastian as the resident demon crack in the area. But I still couldn't ignore that odd little feeling deep within me, the one that begged me to forgive him and look pasts his faults.

His faults being a demon who wanted to steal my soul, among many other things, of course.

Was I truly falling in love with Sebastian? It just didn't seem possible. He was such an ass! And hadn't I sworn to myself to make sure his life was a living hell during my stay at the Phantomhive manor? I mean, sure; as a demon his life probably already was hellish. But I wanted to make it worse. I wanted to annoy the shit out of Sebastian until the only desperate emotion in his otherwise emotionless mind was to break down crying and cursing my name. I wanted the very atmosphere to light up with the intensity of our abhorrence of one another. Hell, I wanted FIREWORKS to explode every time we were in the same room together because of our hatred.

Not because sometimes all I wanted to do was fall into Sebastian's arms and let him do whatever the hell he wanted to do with me.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to continue being a mopey emo ball of self pity. That was just…not attractive. And technically, it would be showing Isolde she had won. Yes, I was now declaring the two of us rivals in love. Because, as much as I hated to admit it, I was indeed developing feelings other than extreme loathing for Sebastian Michaelis. Isolde Elrich was an obstacle that was so going to screw everything up…even though I hadn't really made any advances on Sebastian besides ones that voiced my dislike for the demon butler.

My mind in a constant state of turmoil, I almost didn't comprehend the loud screeching coming from within the bowels of the mansion until I heard my name. I lifted my head slowly from my knees and stared at the door in wonder: _Who could possibly want to talk to me right now? I'm being emo - no one should want to be around me. _For the entire time I was having my depression party, I was pretty much sitting on the floor with my legs pulled up to my chin and my head resting on my knees. I had drawn the curtains to make as dark and miserable environment as possible. I didn't remember the last time I had eaten. Whenever Mey-Rin stopped by to give me food, I dumped it out the window. I probably smelled like a stinky homeless crack addict because I couldn't recollect when I had last taken a shower or bath. My water glass was empty and dry as it had been for the past few hours - I was starting to get thirsty. Plus I had to pee. Really bad.

"Well she invited me over a few days ago, so why don't you go ask her? Or better yet, I shall ask her myself! AURA, WHERE ARE YOU, DARLING?"

"Grell?" I hated the crack in my voice. It made me sound like a preteen boy going through puberty. Oh God, Ciel was probably going to start sounding like that soon, wasn't he? No, not my little cutie pie! He had to stay and sound like a make version of Shirley Temple for the rest of his life! Although…that analogy isn't too accurate…because Shirley Temple actually smiles. Ciel doesn't. But I still love him as a fake younger brother.

I could hear the clicking of high heels racing through the hallways. There was a crash, a few loud curse words, and some more clicking. It was coming closer. And closer. And closer…

"AURA! There you are!" The door was thrown open and I literally flinched when the light from the hallway hit me. What, was I a fucking vampire or something? Standing in the doorway was a familiar crimson figure standing in a sassy position with one hand placed on their hip. "I've been looking absolutely EVERYWHERE for you. How about that sleepover you promised me? And you can even get a start on your campaign to make my dear Bassy finally realize his true feelings for me!"

"Grell…" I couldn't bring myself to look at him. If I really was in love with Sebastian - or even just gaining a little puppy love crush on him - how in the world would I break it to him that I couldn't…help with his little love life problem? I wanted to help Grell. Believe me, I did. But after the scene between Isolde and Sebastian I had just witnessed, I really didn't need yet another "love rival."

I let my head drop back onto my knees and muttered against my skin, "I don't want to talk right now. Not with you, or anyone else. Please, Grell, just leave me alone."

"Wh-what's wrong?" Grell asked in a worried tone, scampering over to me and poking my shoulder with a pointy nail. It was like the guy got them manicured…I wouldn't really put it past him, frankly.

"We've been trying to get Aura to talk to us for the past three days," I heard Ciel mumble in an annoyed voice from the doorway. "So far, all she's done is stay in this room and not tell us what the devil is going on."

"It's quite a nuisance, really." I bristled when Sebastian's suave and yet at the same time vindictive voice wrapped around my brain. It was like a silk handkerchief covered with thorns. "A Phantomhive servant should look past all personal issues and always put forth their best effort. Aura is indeed a disgrace to our company's impression on customers."

"Sebastian, that was a bit harsh," I bristled even more when Isolde rebuked the male demon in a teasing tone, one that wasn't very serious at all. "I'm sure Aura has a very legitimate reason for why she is acting this way."

"Shut up."

"…excuse me?"

I lifted my head up to glare at Isolde, not really caring that I was staring straight into her demonic pink eyes. "You heard what I said, fool. Shut the fuck up." I was pretty proud of myself for putting a believable Boston accent into my words. I sounded badass. Maybe I could be a mob gangster after I get back home from all of this - oh, wait, I'll most likely have been eaten by a demon or two.

"Aura!" Sebastian snapped. "How many times have I told you: that language is not suitable for a Phantomhive servant! Nor is your despicably rude attitude towards Isolde. She was standing up for you, you do realize?"

"Your FACE isn't suitable for a Phantomhive servant!" I snapped back just as harshly. I was going to be as cold as fucking dry ice towards Sebastian from now on. "Now leave me alone before I fucking stab you with a hairpin. I mean it. Leave. Me. ALONE." With that last annunciated word, I stuck my middle finger at the two demons and waited until Ciel huffed in exasperation.

"Come on, you three. Let's leave the little baby to cry by herself." Ciel smirked slightly at me. "Aura's probably on her period, anyway. That's why she's being such a bitch."

"Ciel, if I wasn't planning your wedding with Lizzie or dubbing myself as your older sister, I would be wringing your neck right about now." I growled in an angry tone. "And Grell can stay; I want everyone else to leave, though."

Isolde and Sebastian exchanged annoyed looks but followed Ciel out of the door. Grell looked down at me with concerned eyes. "Honey, please. Tell me what's wrong. I'm not too good at being comforting, but I can always reap someone's soul if you need me to." He held up his little safety scissors temptingly.

"I'm not sure if they people I'm pissed at even HAVE souls that you can reap," I replied with a snort. I sighed and brushed a few tendrils of my brown hair out of my face. My silver streak was starting to fade…I was going to have to get it dyed again soon. I highly doubted there was anyplace to do that here, though.

Grell raised an interested eyebrow and sat down next to me. I debated whether or not to thrown myself into his lap and experience firsthand just how nice it felt to be comforted by a gay best friend. I settled for just leaning my head against his shoulder, though, because I didn't want to freak Grell out too badly. "There are only a few beings I know who fit your description," Grell said. "and I'm quite sure two of them just left the room. Aura, are you going to tell me what has you so upset?"

I bit my lower lip and forced myself not to cry. That would just be humiliating. "Well…this is really hard for me to say, but…" I took a deep breath and shot out all in one puff of air, "I walked in on Sebastian and Isolde making out a couple nights ago." I waited for Grell to interrupt by screeching and tearing his hair out, but all he did was widen his yellowish eyes in shock. So, I continued. "And the reason I'm so depressed is because now I'm even more behind on getting Sebastian to like you the way you like him. I'm such a failure, Grell. I'm sorry."

Okay, so I was twisting the truth a bit and not completely letting Grell know my feelings about this whole episode. So what? It still shocked me that I was developing feelings for the demon bastard - imagine how badly everyone else would be shaken up if they knew. Grell especially.

"You have no idea how much it means to me that you're so concerned about my feelings," Grell sniffed in a touched voice. It kind of made me feel even guiltier, especially when the Grim Reaper gave me a tight hug. "Why, you're the best friend a girl could ever have, Aura!"

Oh, Grell. You and you're "I'm a woman" ways never cease to amaze me. "You're not pissed?" I asked in surprise.

"Well, of course I am! I'm outraged that Sebas-chan would think of going after any other woman besides me!" Grell replied, clapping an indignant hand against his chest. "However, I suppose I shouldn't be so clingy with him. Sebastian needs time to realize his love for me. I will simply have to be patient. Men appreciate patient women, isn't that right?"

"…you do know that if you were a woman, you would have boobs. Right?"

"Shut up, Aura! They just haven't grown in yet! I'M A WOMAN, GOD DAMMIT!"

I couldn't resist smirking at Grell's impassioned response, and I patted the red-haired man on the head. "Thanks for making me smile, Grell. I've been pretty much a depressed hunk of emo-ness for the past three days."

"So does this mean I can have a sleepover here tonight with you?" Grell asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes. He grabbed my hands and stared at me until I felt slightly violated.

Blushing slightly, I slowly pulled my hands away and nodded. "Yeah, what the hell. I need a friend right now anyway. But I share a room with Isolde and Mey-Rin, so we would have to find a different place to stay in. Plus, everyone else will most likely bother us. Or try to throw you out, because no one really likes you here…I think. Still up for it?"

Grell nodded energetically. "Of course I am! Any amount of discomfort is enough to get to my dear Bassy!" He stood up and helped me up, looking my disheveled appearance up and down with distaste. "You know, Aura darling…you really need to wash yourself before the festivities. No offense, but you smell worse than a spoiled perfume sample."

…what are gay best friends for, eh?

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Ciel, if you had any love for me, you would allow Grell to spend the night here. Just one night. One FREAKING night. Seriously, how bad can it get?"

"I don't really love you, so I'm still going to say no."

"…CIEL! I'M HURT! You just stabbed me in the heart, poured salt into the wound, and then posted it all over the internet for people to laugh and see!"

And so, after Grell had gotten me out of my "woe-is-me-self-pity-party and after I had (finally) taken a shower to rid myself of the buildup of emo grit, I was trying to convince Ciel to let the red-headed Grim Reaper to sleep over. Even though I knew my adopted little brother didn't really like Grell. But hey, he was the master of the household, so I was going to ask his permission and be a good little girl for once. Plus I mostly wanted to see if it would piss Sebastian off.

"I think I preferred you when you were being a hermit inside that unused room," Ciel sighed, face palming with exasperation.

"Well that was a blow to my confidence," I pouted, casually slipping an arm around the young earl and whispering into his ear (IN A NON-CREEPER WAY, MIND YOU. I AM NOT A CHILD MOLESTER IN ANY WAY.) "Please? Just this once? It'll mean a lot to me…and I'll never bug you again!"

"We both know that is in no way even close to the truth," Ciel slipped out from my arm and gave me a funny look. "Why do you even enjoy the company of that atrocity?"

I realized he was referring to Grell. "Because he's my gay best friend, and every girl needs one! Even though Grell thinks he's a girl, too, but that's besides the point." I crossed my arms stubbornly. "Come one, Ciel. You really don't know how happy it will make me."

The blue-black haired boy met my serious eyes for a dew moments before sighing in defeat and nodding slowly. "I suppose I can allow it for just one night. So you don't cry and whine about it and annoy me for weeks on end. But, Aura, are you ever going to tell me why you were - "

"THANK YOU SO MUCH, CIEL!" I screamed, throwing my arms around him and swinging him around like he was a little kid. Er, actually I guess he sort of is… "I promise I'll make it up to you. Maybe I'll make you some pizza. No one can resist the charms of a delicious pizza." Without waiting for Ciel to say anything else, I shot out of his office and zipped down the hallway to where I had left Grell, yelling at the top of my lungs, "HE SAID YES, GRELL! WE'RE GONNA HAVE A GERMAN SPARKLE PARTY TONIGHT!"

"That's fabulous! I can't believe you actually convinced the brat to - wait, what?" Grell blinked in confusion at the last thing I had said, which made me laugh.

"Nothing, nothing…just an inside joke between me and one of my friends." Oh, Zoe. How I missed all the fun times we would have together whenever we slept over at your house and danced to that "Numa Numa" song so we could declare it a German Sparkle Party. Even though the people who sang that song were Swedish…or Swiss. One or the other. I don't really know the difference between the two. One IS neutral and makes damn good chocolate though! "Anyway, I say we just go ahead and use that room I was camped out in for the sleepover. I'll go find some blankets and pillows; you go do whatever the hell you want. Excluding scaring the shit out of the servants, because they don't really know who or what you are," I added when Grell got a mischievous look on his face.

"I'll be the perfect little angel my mother always wanted me to be," Grell swore, crossing his fingers solemnly.

"…you had a mother?"

"Not in the most normal sense that a human would think, but yes. I had a mother. Why is that so surprising to you?" Grell asked.

"Uh…forget I said anything." I shrugged and began walking away to find some bedding material. "Oh, and if you wanna go make out with Pluto, he's somewhere in the backyard. Just have fun trying to get him turn into his human form, he'll only do it on command if Sebastian is the one telling him to do it." Thus began my quest for the almighty blankets and pillows!

I traversed through unfamiliar territories!

I crossed unknown borders!

I found undiscovered animals (I.E. a blue and green dust bunny that seemed to run off when I approached it…I really don't want to know what it was)!

And most importantly, I exchanged relations with the native peoples and learned their ways!

…okay, no, that's a lie. I actually ran into Sebastian and Isolde in the hallway (big surprise) and they looked like they were discussing the meal plans for the evening. _I wonder if Bardroy even gets the chance to be the cook anymore,_ I thought with a small frown. _Poor guy. _Yeah, I admit that it sucked when he did, but I felt bad for the lovable pyromaniac. Bardroy grew on me. Same with Finnian and Mey-Rin. At least they didn't have a triple orgy in the laundry room and not lock the doors, unlike some certain demons I know. And yes, I know Isolde and Sebastian didn't exactly have an orgy at the time I sorta walked in on them, but who knows what they were doing before and after I left?

Anyway, I'm distracting myself. Yes, I passed the two demons in the hallway. And yes, they did talk to me. I bet you're wondering if I talked back to them, and if I was a complete bitch. Well…let's just say it wasn't too pretty.

"Oh, hello Aura!" Isolde greeted me brightly. "Are you all better now? It was just PMS, wasn't it?"

I ignored her and kept walking.

"Aura, when someone talks to you, it is most polite to answer," Sebastian pointed out coldly. "I have taught you better, have I not?"

I ignored him as well and pretended the ceiling was very interesting. Actually, it was - there was intricate swirly designs in the tiles. Cool…

"You are being impossible lately!" Sebastian said in a loud and annoyed huff. I realized he was following, as was Isolde. It took all my willpower not to look behind me. "First you act like a complete fool and get drunk on sugar - " It's a sugar HIGH you demon bastard. Get it right, damn you! " - then you lock yourself away in an abandoned room for three days with no outside contact, and now you are ignoring Isolde and I like were are mere specks of dirt on the bottom of your shoe. What, might I ask, gave you the right to treat two respectable demons such as the two of us so…indifferently?" …whoa. Mr. Back In Black Demon Butler Man sounded PISSED. And confused.

And it made me feel like the fucking Energizer Bunny. You know, 'I got the power!" and all that. Anyone? Anyone? …shut up.

I spun around and stopped in my tracks, poking a finger straight into Sebastian's chest (and trying to ignore the sensation of rippling muscles underneath that sexy black overcoat….God, why does he have to make this so hard?). "What gave you the right to decide that my soul is destined to be your little 5-Hour Energy supplement?" I shot back.

"The fact that it truly is and that I am the demon most entitled to devouring it," Sebastian answered with a haughty snort. Isolde stayed silent, watching the two of us with amused eyes. Bitch.

"Well, have you ever thought that maybe I don't necessarily appreciate it that demons are popping into my life from left and right, and I can't enjoy myself anymore?" I raised my other hand up to bitchslap the male demon across the cheek, but Sebastian's hand shot out and gripped mine in its white gloved glory. Oh Lordie, did it feel good.

Sebastian's burgundy eyes turned to their terrifying red-pink shininess and danced with an angry fire. Face set in a hard, cold glare, the demon butler leaned in close to me ear so that his lips brushed against the curve of the hearing appendage. I hated the way that the sensation of his mouth practically moving against my bare skin made my legs wobble and threaten to give out, even if my brain was screaming profanities at him. "You are my property, Aura. You were born entirely for that purpose. Do not forget your place, human. I can always dispose of you if need be. Yes, it will be a great loss on my part…but the alternative does not seem too promising for my goals at this point."

…property? Oh no. He did NOT just refer to me as property, specifically HIS. It's going DOWN.

"You…you fucking asswipe!" I shrieked with rage, struggling to get out of his grasp. My face was burning with flustered indignation and I no doubt looked really idiotic. Sebastian just slithered an arm around my waist and pressed me up against the wall, smirking at my disadvantage.

"I've forgotten how amusing young human women could be when cornered," Sebastian murmured in an pleased manner, hot breath scalding my sensitive skin and making me shudder with repulsiveness. And slight pleasure, but like I'm gonna admit that out loud. "It brings me back to a time where your race weren't as sophisticated as they are today…although to call you personally 'sophisticated' is certainly an exaggeration."

"Sebastian, dear, you're making the poor girl terribly frightened," Isolde spoke up, tapping Sebastian on the shoulder. "Really, shouldn't a demon as refined as you have a little more finesse?"

"Not when the human bothering me deserves this form of treatment," Sebastian answered, cupping my chin with his hand. Red flashed before my eyes in a fit of sheer anger and I wrenched my face away from his, only to have Sebastian grab me again and look me straight in the eye. This time, however, instead of doing what I normally did (rolling my eyes and walking away) I felt powerless under the hypnotic gaze. I didn't know what was happening. "Are you going to be a good girl now?" Sebastian whispered in a silky voice that wrapped itself around me and threatened to make me faint right there and then.

_Bastard…this fucking bastard is seducing me, isn't he?_ I realized with a startled jump. My body felt weak and unresponsive. All I wanted to do was stare at Sebastian's obvious sex appeal until my eyes melted out of their sockets. _And it's working! DAMN IT!_

"Knock it off, Sebastian!" I snapped while simultaneously snapping out of the weird dreamlike state I had been drifting into while staring into Sebastian's alluring eyes. "I'm not above calling an exorcist to the mansion and have him perform a ritual!" I pushed the male demon away and brushed past Isolde, not looking back as I marched back in the direction I had been heading before to get blankets and pillows.

"Humans," I heard Sebastian sigh from behind me in an irritated manner with a slight underlying of satisfaction. "They never cease to amaze me."

**X~X~*~X~X**

After that awkward little moment in the hallway, I spent the rest of the day as far away from Isolde and Sebastian as possible and settled for hanging out with Grell in the upstairs rooms, mainly that one I was hiding out in earlier. Luckily, there was only a couple hours left of the "day" until night was official, so our sleepover started pretty much right away. I invited Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard to the sleepover (actually I called it a German Sparkle Party when I was talking about it) but all three politely declined and said they had work to do. When I think about it, though, they probably just got freaked out about me referring to it as a German Sparkle Party. Those party poopers. They're just jealous because they aren't German. Well, I'm not really either, but still. I bet I'm more German than they are even though most of my heredity is of French origin. They're British.

I'm getting off track.

ANYWAY. The sleepover. Yes, it was epic. Just plain epic. First Grell and I discussed hair styles - turns out he really knows his up-dos from his French braids. I didn't even know the difference, and I have an aunt who used to use me as a practice dummy when she was going through her hairdresser stage. After that we snuck into Ciel's room and raided the closet, which consisted of all these adorable little kid outfits that made me desperate to stick him into. But then Ciel walked in on us when Grell was trying on what looked like a fancy-schmancy set of pajamas and kicked us out, so that didn't last too long.

After that little misadventure I showed Grell my iPod and together we picked theme songs for everyone. Mine was "Crush Crush Crush" by Paramore. Ciel's was "I Hate Everyone" by Say Anything. By the way, I laughed so hard after Grell suggested that for Ciel that the apple juice I had been drinking spurted out of my nose. Sebastian's was "Walk Through Hell" by Say Anything, because Grell believed the song was meant for the two of them as their first dance song at their wedding. I didn't have the heart to let the Reaper know about the episode in the hallway. I chose "Little Girls" by Oingo Boingo for Isolde just because I'm a bitch like that, and it made me feel better. For Mey-Rin, Finny, and Bard altogether Grell and I picked "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" from the Disney movie Mulan because it is an epic song and doesn't really fit any of them. So that's what makes it their song. Pluto's song was "I'm Not Wearing Underwear Today" from the Broadway musical Avenue Q because whenever he's in his human form, the demon dog hardly ever wears clothes.

Grell's was my all-time absolute favorite.

I couldn't believe he picked it out. But he did. Grell was such a laugh. I honestly wished he had lived in my time so we could have been best friends, along with Zoe, and all three of us could hang out at the mall and spend most of our time at Build-A-Bear Workshop while eating Orange Julius. God, those things are good. Seriously, all ice cream products are delicious. Except for onion ice cream. That stuff is just wrong. You don't put a fucking vegetable in ice cream, damn it!

Oh, right.

Grell's song.

It was…get ready for it…

"MAN! I feel like a woman!" The red-haired Grim Reaper sang in a very off pitch way, swinging his slender hips in what I guess was supposed to be sexual and/or seductive. To me it was just hysterical and very hard to not laugh my ass off. "Oh, oh, oh! Go totally crazy! Forget I'm a lady! Men's shirts, short skirts! Oh, oh, oh, really go wild! Yeah, doin' it in style! Oh, oh, oh, color my hair, do what I dare! Oh, oh, oh! I wanna be free, yeah, to feel the way I feel! MAN! I FEEL LIKE A WOMAN!"

"Have I ever told you that I love you in a nonsexual, appropriate for friendship way?" I laughed, throwing a pillow at Grell to get him to shut up.

"I don't believe so, but that just made my day!" Grell replied cheerfully, grinning happily. "Love is what makes us women the way we are!"

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Whatever. Oh my God!" I suddenly got a really good idea. "Grell, let's go find Sebastian's room. I wanna see what's in it."

Okay, I know that the last time I went on a quest to find Sebastian's room it ended in not the most cheerful of ways for me. But this time I had Grell on my side, and I was hoping that the fates would bend in our favor. If not, the Grim Reaper could always whip out his death scythe (i.e.: teeny tiny safety scissors) and go batshit crazy.

"Bassy's room?" Grell's eyes immediately lit up. "Why, what a wonderfully brilliant idea, Aura! In fact, my gorgeous man meter is going off right now. I bet it can lead us to his room!"

_Gorgeous man meter? …his penis? OH GOD, I HOPE NOT. _I shook my head roughly to rid it of those awkward thoughts. "Let's go, then. Right?"

"Of course~!" Grell sang, grabbing my hand and shooting out of the room at mach speed. I didn't even blink more than twenty times as I watched the blurring scenery , and before I knew it the two of us were standing in front of a door. I looked around to make sure it wasn't the same place I had come across and found Sebastian and Isolde getting past first base, but I couldn't really tell if it was or not. I could only hope. "I sense it," Grell rubbed his hands together and placed them on the doorknob. "This is my dear Sebas-chan's humble abode!"

Grell turned the handle and with bated breath the two of us slowly crept into the dark room. There was a plain bed, a dressed sparse of any decorations, a window with the curtains drawn, and that same trunk I remembered seeing three nights ago. I stared at it for a little bit, and then walked over to it. "This was in the room that Sebastian and Isolde were when I saw them kissing," I explained to Grell.

"What could it be?" The red-haired man wondered, coming to stand next to me.

"I don't know, but it could be proof that this really is Sebastian's room." I answered, kneeling down next to the trunk and touching it. The surface was rough with lots of little designs. "Just what are you hiding…?" I murmured more to the trunk than myself, taking a risk and shaking ever so slightly. It felt like a few things shifted inside, but not too much. So, I grasped the trunk by its side handles and shook it with a bit more force.

What transpired next will always stand out in my mind even if I grow old and contract such a severe case of Alzheimer's that I can't remember how to breathe.

"Meow~!" Came a pitiful mew from inside the trunk. Grell and I stared at each other, then the trunk, and then back to each other. "Was that a cat?" I asked, scrunching up my nose in utter confusion. _Who in their right mind would keep a cat locked up in a trunk?_ "If it really is a cat, I'm so calling PETA on whose ever ass this thing belongs to. Help me open it, will you Grell?"

Grell nodded and the two of us stood on either side of the trunk, pulling on the lid with all our might. It was kind of stuck, like someone had glued it shut. And no, it wasn't locked, because there was absolutely no visible keyhole. If there was an invisible keyhole, then I guess it can go suck my nonexistent dick. Or it can go suck Grell's existent one, because no matter how hard he tries to act like a woman, he still has the body of a man. Unless he gets a sex change. Then Grell can back to his merry ways of being a lady.

"I WIN THE GAME!" I whisper-yelled in victory when the chest's lid gave way and flipped open. Grell and I quickly peered inside curiously, sticking our heads down in there and almost bumping into each other.

Inside the chest, there was indeed a cat. But not just one. Oh, no. There were five: a mama cat and her four kittens. The mama cat was pure black save for a white streak on her nose. She had a collar around her sleek neck with a fancy engraved tag that read "Nox" and was staring at us with sleepy emerald eyes. Her kittens were all various shades of black and grey and jumping on each other, save for the one pure white one that was fast asleep.

My eyes immediately welled up with happy tears. "OH MY GOD, THEY'RE SO CUTE!" I ran my hand against the mommy cat's silky back, who purred in contentment. "But why are they in here all alone? It's animal cruelty, damn it! I should sick Pluto on their ass!" I reached into the trunk and lifted up the white kitten, who yawned to reveal a pink mouth and sharp little teeth. It blinked with eyes the same exact shade as mine, and mewled cutely. I instantly fell in love. "I name you Luna!" I cooed, cuddling the little kitten against my chest and snuggling her soft fur. "And you and I shall be bestest friends forever."

"They are all such darlings," Grell gushed in agreement, patting the purring mother feline on the head. He started to talk in incoherent baby speak, gurgling and whatnot. It was kind of cute to watch, really. Who knew Grell had a maternal side?

"What the hell are you two doing in my room?" An angry voice demanded from the doorway suddenly. Grell and I spun around (Luna still cradled in my arms) and stared in shock at who was standing there. I guess now I knew why he had sounded pleased when I had told him I liked cats during the time I had first fed Pluto.

"Sebastian?"

**DUN DUN. CLIFF HANGER. Although I bet you all knew that was going to happen. I mean, it's Sebastian for crap's sake. If anyone's going to have a secret trunk full of cats in their room, it's going to be him. God, I love Sebastian. :D Anyway, thanks for reading, and I guess Soma and Agni's appearance will be put off for a bit. We are slowly making our way through the anime plot of Kuroshtisuji, ja? ^-^ Review if you loved it, review if you hated it, or just review for the hell of it. Or just don't review it all. We really don't care. Hope you enjoyed~!**

**~Yuki**


	13. That Girl, Mistaken

**Yuki: Sorry for a latish update - Hannah and I have been super busy with homework (DAMN YOU BIOLOGY CELL PROJECT, I DESPISE YOU) and I've been a tad obsessed with my Hetalia fics.**

**Hannah: That's one way of putting it. You can't stop making Hetalia references everywhere we go, now.**

**Yuki: *_* I LURVES IT, M'KAYZ?**

**Hannah: Sigh…Thanks for over 200 reviews, and we hope this chapter satisfies! By the way, Nox the cat isn't Ronald Knox. We won't be putting any Kuroshitsuji II characters into this or a large manga reference. Nox is just Latin for "night" and seems like something Sebby would call a cat. :P**

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

I know I probably shouldn't have said what I said right after I realized it was Sebastian's room that Grell and I had wandered into. But…I couldn't help it! I mean, seriously, he had a freaking TRUNK full of CATS. The comment needed to be made. Very badly. So, I said it:

"I knew you didn't like dogs, Sebastian, but I never thought it was because you had a bestial sexual attraction to felines!"

…have I mentioned I don't really have a mental filtering system?

Grell and Sebastian both gaped at what had just come out of my mouth while the little kitten - Luna - yawned and began to knead her little paws against my chest. A loud rumbling issued from her throat, and I instantly melted into another puddle of goo.

"How dare you keep such cuteness locked away from the world inside a smelly old trunk?" I snapped at Sebastian, cuddling the white as snow kitten protectively. "It's horrible, you animal abuser!"

"I have a perfectly legitimate reason for it," Sebastian crossed his arms and glared down at me. I could tell that he was juggling between the options of either punching both me and Grell in the face and laughing evilly while little children's ice cream fell on the ground because of his pure maliciousness, or lunging for the cats and making a run for it. No, I'm completely serious, it was in his eyes! Which were that scary as hell bright pink with feline-like slits for pupils…Hey, his fetish for cats might explain why his eyes can look like cat eyes! Oh my God, look at me, making observations like a pro! I should be on CSI. I can imagine it now - I'd be the one they all go to whenever they suspect that a sexy demon with a god complex and cat addiction is raping all the little boys and then using their souls to flavor his coffee.

That'd be a hell of a plot, don't you think?

Haha, see what I did there? I made a pun. Using Sebastian's "one hell of a butler" line.

I AM A FUCKING GENIUS.

"Well then let's hear it," I answered, realizing that although my mind was quite the creative funhouse at the moment, reality was the best place to be at.

"Sebas-chan, I'm disappointed in you!" Grell added, his face the exact expression of someone very depressed. "If you'll put filthy animals in a trunk for your bedroom adventures, why not me? How could you leave me out in the cold like that when I love you so much?"

"Simple; I feel nothing but extreme disgust for you, you monstrosity," Sebastian answered with a stuff toss of his head.

"That was uncalled for!" I patted Grell on the back comfortingly, who now resembled someone who was not only very depressed but someone who also just witnessed something very depressing. …those two things are the same? …shut up. Realizing Sebastian was just skirting around what I had inquired about a couple of minutes ago, I put my foot down and glared at the demon butler. "Now answer my damn question before I take this cats for myself, you bastard!"

For the first time ever, Sebastian looked uncomfortable. He fidgeted ever-so-slightly, slid his hot pink gaze from me to the trunk behind Grell and I containing the mommy cat and her kittens, then back to me and resting on the dozing Luna in my arms. Finally, taking a deep breath, Sebastian muttered, "I have a fondness towards felines, if you must know."

"So you store them in a box never to see the light of day?"

"Of course not - I allow them to roam around at night!" Sebastian protested, looking as if the mere thought of holding a bunch of defenseless kitties captive in a trunk forever was horrific.

"So…you just like to keep cats in a chest…for the fun of it?" I was so confused. By the look on Grell's face, he was too. I tightened my hold on Luna and kissed her silken head comfortingly. "Don't worry, sweetie, I'll make sure the big bad demon bastard doesn't keep you locked away any more."

"Bassy, dear, it's unethical towards the cuties!" Grell reached into the trunk and picked up the mother cat - Nox - and shoved her in Sebastian's face. "Look at her! This is the face of pure adorableness! How could you be so cruel as to lock her and her babies away from the world?"

"I am doing it for their own good!" Sebastian snarled, snatching Nox away from Grell and cradling her the same way I was holding Luna the kitten. I could hear the black cat's purrs loud and clear. "Bocchan doesn't approve of my admiration of the feline species, so I must hide them in order for them to be safe. Does that answer satisfy you two?"

I just sort of stared at Sebastian for a few seconds.

And then I burst into convulsions of painful laughter, being careful not to squish Luna as I held my aching stomach and giggled like an insane patient high on morphine.

"AHAHAHAHA! CIEL TOTALLY SCARES THE SHIT OUT OF YOU, DOESN'T HE?" I laughed, wiping tears from my eyes. "You're all worried that if he finds out about your little kitten brigade you have, he'll kick you out~!"

"That is quite far from the truth, Aura," Sebastian answered, face rigid with humiliated rage. "The young master frowns upon my keeping a cat as a pet. He believes it will distract me from my duties. When I find dear Nox out in the cold - and pregnant, no less - how could I turn away? She's quite the delightful little creature, as are her offspring. I can see you are already attached to one in particular," He added, gesturing to the ball of white adorableness in my arms.

"She's my baby!" I cooed, rubbing my cheek against the top of Luna's head. She purred in delight. "And I'm keeping her."

"I regret to inform you of this, Aura, but as Nox's rightful owner her kittens also belong to me." Sebastian said in a snobbish tone. "Hand her over, now."

"NEVER!" I hissed, sticking my tongue out at him. "You're still on thin ice, Mister! Don't try to talk so casually to me like that. I'm pretty fucking pissed, you know!"

"And what, pray tell, did I do to make you so abhorrent of me?" Sebastian asked in a genuinely curious tone.

"Oh, wouldn't YOU like to know," I scoffed, rolling my eyes and beginning to walk past him to leave the room. "Come on, Grell; we have better things to do than talk to this prick. Like teaching Luna here how to despise Sebastian's face and hiss at him every time she sees him!" I added the last bit in a cheerful voice. When Grell didn't answer me and I couldn't feel him following, I turned around to see the red-haired Grim Reaper giving Sebastian these creepy googly-eyes that resembled hearts.

Mostly because said demon butler was running a gloved hand through his luscious (Someone shoot me for phrasing it like that, please…) hair and sighing in exasperation, and I hate to admit that it did indeed look quite sexy.

Damn that spawn of Satan for having such an intense amount of sex appeal.

"Honestly, Aura," Sebastian stated, suddenly in front of me and blocking the door with his hot-as-a-July-afternoon figure. He practically towered above me and stared deep into my eyes. Not to be poetic or anything, but this is what it felt like: red hot coals gazing into my glacial-like seeing organs. "I cannot fathom what I did to make you so angry. I've been being the best butler, have I not? I have seen to your lodging and safety during your stay here, and I have refrained from making a move to steal your precious soul - " - at this I flinched with suppressed irritation - " - So I just do not understand what has you so…objectionable of me."

I guess I had no other choice.

I was going to tell Sebastian why I was so pissed at him.

…I'm going to die a very painful and lengthy death after this, aren't I?

Well…it was fun while it lasted.

I took a deep breath and, looking to Grell for moral support (who mostly just drooled as he imagined him and Sebastian doing many kinky things, no doubt) I launched into my retelling of what I had witness only so short ago. "A couple of nights ago, when I was wandering the hallways of the mansion, I came to a door. I was actually looking for your room so I could do something to prove that my awesome presence had been there - " - at this I saw Sebastian visibly twitch and I couldn't help cracking an amused smile - " - and I decided to check it out."

I paused, not sure how to continue. When Sebastian gave me a look that said "Get on with it, you idiotic human," I flipped him off and went on. "Er…well, rather than drag it out with a very detailed description of what I encountered, I'll just boil it down to this: I SAW YOU AND ISOLDE SUCKING FACE LIKE HARD CANDY."

Sebastian was silent as repressed shock settled over his handsome features. He blinked once; twice; three times. Then:

"You are entirely sure of what you witnessed?"

I wanted to throw my arms up in exasperation but I couldn't while I cradled Luna. "Of course I'm sure! It's not every fucking day that I see two people - demons, I should probably say instead - one step below doing the nasty, and I'm pretty damn sure I can pick you and Isolde out from anywhere. It was you two, so don't even deny it."

"And why on earth would you be so upset over it?" Sebastian inquired, a sly smile slipping onto his kissable lips. Shit, I really just called Sebastian's lips "kissable," didn't I? Well…fuck my life. Okay, brain, I know that you and my heart find Sebastian utterly appealing despite all his "charms" (i.e.: Asshole attitude and various other aspects that pissed me off) but you need to stop narrating so nicely about him when I am trying to convey a sense of complete anger and betrayal. Er, scratch the betrayal bit.

I was in deep shit now. I was like a fish caught on one of those really fancy fishing poles that practically desiccated the throat of the fish. I was like a butterfly in a net. I was like a very confused teenage girl with a growing crush on a demon who wanted to eat her soul, and I couldn't necessarily admit to Sebastian that the reason I was so mad about the whole kiss thing was because I liked him now, could I? So, I went the same route I had with Grell and hoped that among his other talents, mind reading wasn't a forte of Sebastian's.

"I'm upset because I'm supposed to be getting you fall for Grell!" I answered, nodding at the gay guy with the major hots for Sebastian. "The little make out scene I saw between you and Isolde really cuts me back a few steps. Plus, it completely ruined my innocence. Seriously, if you're gonna do stuff related to making babies, lock the fucking door!"

"Do you want to know what exactly it was that you saw?" Sebastian questioned with a knowing glint to his eyes.

"I know what I saw, it was you two having a tongue wrestling match!"

"Oh…I wish I could do that…" Grell put in wistfully. Poor guy.

"Not exactly," Sebastian placed a finger on the tip of my nose and I yanked myself backwards when a jolt of electricity sizzled throughout my entire body. _What the hell was that? _I stared at Sebastian in alarm; he just smirked at my no doubt flustered face and stroked Nox's sleek black fur. "What you most likely witnessed that night was Isolde sustaining me."

"A likely story, I bet that's what you tell every girl you try to - wait, what?" I broke off as the gravity of what Sebastian had just said went through my thought processing station inside my mind.

Grell looked as confused as I was, too. "Excuse me, Sebas-chan? What does that mean?"

Sebastian threw him an irritated look. "It means exactly what it means."

"As if that's not enigmatic," I muttered. "Seriously, Sebastian, what the hell are you going on about?"

"Isolde has no master. Technically, she cannot survive in this realm without one." Sebastian began. I had a feeling it this was going to turn into some very long ass explanation when he would only have to give three sentences to tell us what he meant. "So, we have…a compromise." The demon butler paused, presumably to add dramatic tension. It just made me irritated. It probably added sexual tension on Grell's end, though. "Every week, Isolde must go into the city and harvest a suitable soul. She brings it back with her and together we share its benefits. Since I have a master, I can harness the soul's energy and divide the sustenance it provides evenly between us."

Well. I wasn't expecting that.

"So…Isolde's NOT a whore?" I asked, peering at Sebastian in interest. "And…you two aren't…fuck buddies?"

"Of course not!" Sebastian looked astonished at my choice of lewd words. Come on, Bassy, I've been here for a couple of weeks now. You should know I have the vocabulary of a sailor. "We are merely partners in survival. However, when the day comes that I shall devour your soul, Aura…" Sebastian smirked and licked his lips in anticipating, sending a creeped out shiver down my spine. "I shall make sure that I am the sole benefactor in that ceremony; you can guarantee that." Nox turned her glance on me and for a moment her eyes seemed to be the same terrifying orbs as Sebastian's; then again, it might have been my imagination. I fumbled for a response but, finding that my mouth had gone dry and my mind was completely devoid of a clever retort, I just spun around and stamped out. I didn't give a crap if Grell followed me or not at that point - all I wanted was to get out of there.

"I'm looking forward to that day, Aura!" Sebastian called after me in an cruelly passive tone. See what I did there, I used an oxymoron to describe the demon asshole. Because that's what he is: one big oxyMORON. "And I cannot stress this enough…in time, you will as well."

Well, damn. In the game of scaring this shit out of each other, this is the score. Aura: 0, Sebastian: too many to count at this point.

**X~X~*~X~X**

So. A couple of days after that slightly (codeword for HIGHTLY) scarring experience in Sebastian's room - hah…if you read just that line it sounds funny. Sorry, bad to the actual story now - I was relaxing in my room reading a book that Mey-Rin had lent me. It was one of those cheesy romance novels that everyone knew their grandmas read but were too embarrassed to ask about them. Anyway, the sleepover betwixt Grell and I had gone pretty well. Especially on Grell's end, because he learned that Sebastian and Isolde weren't a couple and that he still had a chance. That made me ecstatic as well, but I was still going to be a bitch to them until I simmered down. When I hold a grudge, I hold it like a fucking crocodile holds a zebra carcass. I had promised Sebastian not to tell Ciel about his trunk of kitties as long as I could keep Luna and as long as he kept them in someplace other than a dusty old chest. Sebastian agreed (a bit reluctantly, I might add) and so I was now the proud owner of one endearing kitten.

Luna was an absolute doll. There was no doubt about it. She was spunky and sweet, and didn't seem to mind me hiding her from Ciel inside my closet. In fact, I found this neat little tunnel from my closet to Sebastian's room that she seemed to use, so she could visit her mama and siblings. It was hard to keep Luna a secret from Mey-Rin and Isolde since they were always asking me about why I brought little tidbits of food and saucers of milk to our room when I thought no one was looking (Damn it, no one was whenever I did it!) but so far they hadn't figured it completely out.

Anyway. Back to the present day.

A few things had happened since my totally amazingly fantabulous sleepover with Grell.

One: I realized that Finnian had a crush on me.

Two: I realized Bardroy made him confront his feelings and talk to me about it.

And three: I realized Bardroy's idea of a pickup line really sucks ass.

This is how that conversation went, in case you're wondering.

I was sitting on one of the couches in the lounge room daydreaming and wondering how my family and friends were doing back home without me. I heard Finny's hesitant voice suddenly ask me, "Um…Aura? May I speak with you?"

I opened my eyes and looked at the gardener. His face was an uncomfortable pink and his hands were nervously shaking. He gulped and shoved them behind his back so I wouldn't see his uncomfortable-ness. "Uh, sure. What the hell."

Finnian fidgeted around for a bit, and then suddenly blurted out, "I think my penis needs CPR - can you help me with that?" His face turned an even brighter shade of red, and his baby blue eyes squeezed shut.

I let that sentence sink in for a bit, then sputtered out, "W-what the fuck?"

Finnian collapsed onto the floor with tears streaming down his face. "I'm so sorry!" Finny cried, bowing his head multiple times in my direction as a means of apology. "Bard told me to man up and say something manly to you! It was the only thing I could think of!"

"Dammit, Finny, you completely ruined your chances!" Bardroy said from the doorway, where he had evidently been hiding so he could watch the whole thing. "I told you to be suave and gentleman like! More like Sebastian!"

"Let me tell you boys something," I got up from my couch and patted Finnian on the back, feeling sorry for the poor guy. I glared at Bardroy before continuing, "The most romantic adventure I've ever had was in second grade when I was dared to kiss the class gerbil for three dollars and half a bologna sandwich. All I got out of it was a bite mark on my tongue that lasted for a week and I couldn't eat anything but water and low sugar Jello. If you're going to try to…seduce me, or whatever the hell that was supposed to be, here's some tips: be sexy. Compliment me. Tell me something that's nice even if it's not true. And most of all," Here I stressed the next words, "don't be posers, because I despise men like that. Which is why I hate Sebastian. Got it?"

Finny and Bardroy both nodded; Finny a bit humbly, Bard probably just to get me to shut up. "I was just tryin' to get Finny to admit his feelins' for ya," The cook muttered, averting his eyes.

I raised an eyebrow at Finnian. "You actually like me like…like me?" I know that didn't really make any sense, but Finnian seemed to get what I was saying. He nodded, going scarlet and looking like a deer caught in a set of headlights. "Why, Finny, I…don't know what to say!" I grinned and gave him a quick hug. "Here's another lesson, Finny-boy. Get over your crush on me, because no offense, but…I will break your heart. I'm a bitch and even if I don't mean to, I will make you very sad one day. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Finnian mumbled, looking at Bard dejectedly. "At least you're honest about it."

"Damn, Aura, they really waste no time in teachin' you women in America how to break a man's heart!" Bardroy remarked as he lit a cigarette and took a puff on it. "Even I'm a bit hurt."

"I'm open to being your friend though!" I pointed out. "There's nothing better than friendship. Except chocolate and the music on my iPod. Oh, and fruits, because they're healthy for you. Except for V8 - that stuff is nasty. Seriously, why ruin the purity of fruit juice with VEGETABLES? The tomato juice was one thing, but all those other flavors that they've come out with? Next thing you know they'll be advertising the next V8 flavor to be 'Apple Carrot Broccoli Safari' or something like that. I don't even LIKE broccoli in the first place, why would I want it in a juice that should be primarily fruit dominated?"

Finnian and Bardroy just sort of stared at me for a few minute seconds, opened their mouths to talk at the same time, and then shut them upon further discretion. What can I say, my rants really seem to take the words right out of peoples' mouths. I'm just that brilliant.

So yeah, after that whole fiasco (which I couldn't help snickering at occasionally - honestly, that CPR line had to be one of the worst pickup lines EVER, but it was so fucking funny to think about) I went upstairs and made sure Luna was well provisioned. Then I sat on my bed and read about a young Gypsy woman who fell into the sweaty and muscular arms of a handsome pirate lord and the two were thrown into possibly the most predictable plot I have ever seen in a book. It was pretty hot, though. Especially the seen where Miran (the weak and dainty Gypsy) and Jared (the sexy pirate dude) got caught in a thunderstorm and had to undress and cling to each other for warmth…heh. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. Thank you, Mey-Rin, for being a secret closet perv.

Anyway, while I was fully absorbed in my book, I heard a commotion from downstairs. It sounded like Ciel was angrily demanding something of somebody, and the reply was muffled. I just dismissed it as Sebastian finally getting a time out for something he didn't do entirely right (Oh nuhz, whatever shall Mr. Perfect do?) and went back to reading. Occasionally I stroked Luna's little head and she purred in content.

As I had just gotten to the part where Jared was about to ravish oh-so-innocent-and-inexperienced Miran with his supposedly "scalding tongue that was like silk and sandpaper all at the time) Mey-Rin raced through the door and said in a rushed voice, "We have visitors, Aura! Come downstairs and see, yes! You absolutely must!"

"I'm reading." I replied in a bored tone, eager to get back to the sexy time in my book. Great, now I'm probably going to become addicted to this little cheap smutty books and I'll have to blame Mey-Rin all for it. …actually, call me a disgusting pervert, but that might not be as bad as I think it would.

"Your book can wait, yes it can! Our visitors are exotic, Aura! They are all the way from," The ditzy maid lowered her voice for added effect and did a really bad parody of the jazz hands as if it would make her announcement more exciting. "somewhere in India!"

"…yeeeeaaaah. My sexy pirate time so totally can wait when compared with that. Just kidding. Have fun, I'll be reading dollar store porn."

Mey-Rin looked confused for a moment, but suddenly grabbed my hand and yanked me off the bed. I gave a surprised yelp and watched as Luna raced into the closet to hide (we had practiced what she needed to do if this type of situation ever were to arise - my little baby was so smart!). Dragging me out of the bedroom, Mey-Rin proudly proclaimed, "You absolutely must see them, Aura! One is a prince, and he is so handsome! His butler is too…ah, why must all men from other countries be so good-looking?"

I didn't know the answer to that, but it probably had something to do with the fates so that I wouldn't be able to read more of my cheesy romance novel.

…screw you, fate.

Screw you in the ass.

**Yuki: LOL PHAIL CHAPTER IS PHAIL.**

**Hannah: Yeah, we know this wasn't that good of a chapter, but we had a bit of a writers' block during it and felt this was the best route to go.**

**Yuki: At least this way Soma and Agni finally appear in the next chapter. YAY! I love them! They're sexy and add outrageous humor! BTW I stayed up waaay past my bedtime to put the finishing touches on this chapter just for you guys, so you'd better thank me. I'm gonna go sleep now after I upload this.**

**Hannah: Thank you for reading and we hope this chapter was somewhat satisfactory. Ideas and suggestions are appreciated ****:D**


	14. That Girl, Pleased

**Yuki: YAAAAY! Soma and Agni time! *starts break dancing***

**Hannah: You love those two, don't you?**

**Yuki: YEP! By the way, guys, we're much too lazy to go re-watch the episodes where they come in, so the dialogue won't be exact. And we'll probably just give a brief summary of that whole Kali thing, not an entire monologue. Either that or we'll just imply it was said and not even hit on it entirely. Huzzah for being lazy asses! :D**

**Hannah: And to those of you who wanted SomaXAura…you may just get your wish. But we don't want her sounding like a whorish Mary Sue, so we're going to have to be careful. Someone PM'd us saying she was even though we specifically stated she passed that Mary Sue litmus test thinger with flying colors. **

**Yuki: I was sad. Then I got over it. Then I got sad again because for some reason YouTube is telling me that episodes 5 and up of the dubbed version of Hetalia aren't available to me because they're private.**

**Hannah: I've been suffering with the side effects of her whining -.-**

**Yuki: Love ya too, Hannah! :3**

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

So. Here I am. Being dragged away from my dollar store Victorian-era porn book to go meet some Indian prince. Isn't life grand? Why the hell is there even some foreign aristocrat in Ciel's mansion anyway? I mean, I know Ciel's an earl and all, but still. My cute adoptive little brother doesn't seem like the type to get visitors that often. He's kind of like Ebenezer Scrooge in a way, but I still love him in a sisterly way. Except I wish he could have picked a better demon butler to sell his soul to, preferably one that didn't have the personality of spoiled milk. Even though, somehow, I was managing to fall for said demon butler despite the fact that I wanted to dump a vat of holy water on him and see what would happen.

But I digress.

"Mey-Rin, is it really necessary for me to meet the dude?" I muttered in a slightly pissed off tone as the red haired maid raced down the hallway at mach speed, tugging me along with her.

"Of course it is!" Mey-Rin gushed. "You're a part of the Phantomhive household as well as me, Finny, Bard, and Tanaka! So it would stand to reason, yes it would, that you're also required to come see the prince."

"Oh joy. I am ecstatic. I can feel the excitement bubbling up inside of me and threatening to overflow. Whatever shall I do? Yaaaaay." This, of course, was all said in a very monotone type of voice so Mey-Rin would know I was being completely and utterly sarcastic.

"Oh, Aura, you must not be such a downer all the time!" The maid huffed in a slightly maternal tone. "One of these days you will be thanking everything that has happened to you during your stay at Master Ciel's estate. Meeting a prince all the way from India is just one of those experiences you simply must partake in, yes it is!"

She had a point, even though I really didn't want to admit it. I supposed I was just going to have to suck it up and go with the flow. Even though I rather enjoyed being the rain cloud on everyone's parade.

Anyway, when the two of us arrived downstairs, the entire Phantomhive household (including Isolde, no less) were surrounding two figures in the middle of the big fancy foyer that I really wanted to wax the floor of someday and then have a skating party on it. Both were pretty tall, but the guy with the weird white hair and one of those turban thingers was taller than the other guy next to him with weirdly purple hair that was very long and in a thick ponytail. Both were dressed in exotic Indian clothing made of colorful fabrics, both had those circle things on their foreheads that tell you what caste they apparently belong in, and both had the dark skin associated with that part of the world.

And, don't get me wrong here, but I'm just going to come out and say it:

Both of them were HOT.

Like, the ground boils beneath their feet hot.

Kind of like Sebastian. Only whenever he walks, he also kills pretty flowers with his pure evilness. I hoped these guys weren't the same. It would be really nice if Fate would throw me a couple of good-looking men that were fully human, not complete assholes, didn't have any weird talents and/or fetishes, and for the most part were pretty much normal.

Aside from the whole, you know, royal bloodline thing going on.

"I brought Aura!" Mey-Rin announced, making everyone turn to look at us. Ciel had this expression on his face that made him look highly constipated. I assumed it was his "Do something before I murder this freaking dumbass" face. It just kind of added more cuteness to him. I don't know how, though.

"Good," Ciel replied, crossing his arms and shifting his eyes from me to the Indian dudes. "Aura, meet our…guests…"

The dude with the freaky purple hair (and golden eyes, now that I'm looking at him more closely) smiled widely at me and said in a thick Indian accent, "Greetings! I am Prince Soma Asman Kadar, twenty-sixth son of the illustrious king of Bengal." His hand suddenly snatched out and grabbed mine, making me give an uncharacteristically girly squeak, and pressed his lips against it.

I wanted to punch Sebastian in the eyeballs for the smug and amused look he gave me as my face lit up when the prince guy pulled away. His eyes seemed to tell me, "Now this is going to be fun, eh, Aura?"

Bastard.

The other Indian guy, the one with the white hair and blue-ish/grey eyes, bowed very deeply and spoke in an even more pronounced accent, "And I am Prince Soma's loyal attendant, Agni."

"That's, er, nice you two," I fumbled for words, getting slightly creeped out at the way the "prince" kept giving me an odd stare. "but I don't really care. Gonna go back to my room and read now. It was nice meeting the both of you and I hope you have a wonderful life." I spun around and made a move to march away, but Sebastian grabbed my arm before I could really make any headway on my escape.

"Not so fast, Aura," The demon butler said, eyeing me in annoyance. You know, he was like a menopausal woman, the way his mood shifted constantly. Or maybe it was just my awesome presence that brought it out. Either way, it was funny as hell and made me feel important. "It appears Prince Soma and his butler are in need of a place to reside in during their stay in London. The young master has graciously agreed to let them stay in the manor."

Actually, the exasperated frown on Ciel's face made me think it was more of a strained agreement, but I wasn't going to say that out loud. The kid looked pissed enough already, and I really didn't want to prolong that feeling.

"Your point being?" I asked stiffly, wishing Sebastian would just freaking let go of me already. I was going to yell "RAPE!" if he didn't.

"We have appointed you to show them to their rooms."

…_oh, you sly son of a bitch. _I turned to Ciel and tried not to gape. "Is Sebastian serious?"

Ciel nodded. "Yes." He didn't say anything else and was looking like he either needed a shot of tequila or a double dose of Advil. And since Ciel is only thirteen, I was NOT going to allow him to consume any type of alcohol. _I wonder why he looks so stressed out right now_, I thought as I slid my gaze back to Prince Soma and his butler, Agni. _Is it because of these guys? And why the hell are they even here unannounced? Something fishy's going on here, and I wanna know what._

I crossed my arms and huffed indignantly. "Well, too bad. I refuse to do it. Last time we had a 'guest' over, very bad things happened. Plus, you guys dragged me away from my 'me time' for this, so I'm kinda pissed. Why can't you just have Bard or Finny do it?"

"Because I'm giving you an order, Aura! And orders are to be obeyed." Ciel replied, looking as if he was at the end of his wits. Man, just what did these Indian dudes do to piss him off so badly?

"And I'm telling you that I don't follow orders given to me by my bratty adoptive brother!" I snapped, pointing at Sebastian and Isolde. "Make them do it, since they're both 'one hell of a servant' and all that!" I made sure to glare flippin' daggers at the two demons.

"Ah, you are just like the great goddess Kali!" Prince Soma suddenly cried out exuberantly, holding his arms out as if actually praising a goddess. Okay, now I'm starting to get a little creeped out. "Fiery and beautiful!" He whipped his head around to his attendant, Agni. "Agni, isn't this girl exactly what you picture of Kali in mortal form?"

Agni nodded so fast I thought his head was going to pop off. "I could not agree more with you, my prince! Such passion in her eyes, such magnificent retaliation!"

"Are you two high?" I asked sincerely, raising confused eyebrows. "Who the crap is this 'Kali' chick, your girlfriend or something?"

"Who is Kali?" Soma looked horrified. "Who is KALI? Why, she is the great goddess of our people! She is the wife to Shiva and the goddess of power! Once, in the ancient times, a demon foolishly challenged her, and naturally Kali won. But it came at a great price - the goddess went on a murderous rampage, and it wasn't until Shiva humbly threw himself at her feet did she come to her senses and realize what she was doing."

"Kali is known as 'the one who destroys,' but that can also mean she just ushers out change in the world," Agni added when my face hardened. Was I getting this completely wrong, or were these guys calling me an insane lady who had a Mexican hat dance on her weak-ass husband?

"So, what you're saying is that I'm mentally unstable and that I - "

"Aura, just show them to their rooms and then stop by my office," Ciel interrupted me, probably sensing that I was about to slip into bitch mode and defend my honor, so-to-speak. "I have something important that needs to be said. Everyone else, go prepare supper, and make it worthy for our guests!" The other household servants nodded in understanding and ran off in different directions. As Ciel walked past me, he muttered so only I could hear, "Use one of the abandoned rooms upstairs for the prince. We'll accommodate to their preferences later."

I rolled my eyes and started to head up the fancy staircase. When I realized neither the prince nor his butler were following me, I said, "Well, come on! You heard the little shorty. I guess I'll be showing you to your rooms. And they're this way. So you might want to follow me."

"Of course, my little _devi_," Soma cheerfully replied, practically sprinting to catch up with me. Agni trailed behind the purple haired prince like a bodyguard to the President. I couldn't help but notice that the prince kept staring at me like I probably would to bacon, were it I was provided with such a delight. But no, Sebastian didn't think it was healthy enough, and so there was never any bacon in the mansion. Great, now I'm craving bacon, and I'll have to settle for ham IF I CAN EVEN FIND THAT IN THIS GODFORSAKEN HOUSE.

"Dude. There's this little thing called 'personal space.' You're in mine." I said to Prince Soma after the fourth time his arm brushed against me. That is unwanted physical contact, and I can very much do without it, thank you very much.

"Ahahaha! My apologies, my little _devi_!" Soma laughed, backing away. "I'm afraid I'm unaccustomed to the ways of the British." …and I'm afraid I'm thinking that's a lie, because wasn't it illegal in India for men of certain status ranks to be close to women? Maybe I should have paid attention in world history class.

But, then I realized he had called me that one word for a second time. "What in God's name does that mean?" I asked, afraid to know the answer.

"Hm?" Soma cocked his head inquisitively at me. It…made him look really handsome. Damn this universe for having so many freaking hot guys here.

"I believe she means '_devi,' _my prince," Agni answered before I could respond on my own.

"Ah, it means 'goddess' in my native tongue!" Soma explained. "That is my nickname to you, since you resemble the great goddess Kali so much to me due to your explosive personality and your unearthly looks. All we need is a bloody knife and the severed head of a demon, and you will be the perfect picture of Her righteous judgment!"

Call me cruel, but the image going through my mind was me holding Sebastian's head. The only bad thing was that I had blood and skin under my fingernails from the violent battle the two of us had gone through until I emerged the victor. It sure did make a nice picture, though.

But then I realized something. "D-did you just hit on me?"

Soma and Agni looked at me blankly. Was it just me, or was this walk to find some suitable rooms for the two of them taking way too long? "I did not touch you at all!" The bewildered prince held his hands up in an "I'm innocent" gesture.

"No, it's a figure of speech. It means…uh…how to put this in terms someone like you would get…" I paused for a moment, chewing on my bottom lip in thought. "It basically means that you were trying to flirt with me."

"Oh, is that so?" Soma smiled widely. "I was merely complimenting you. What did you say your name was, again?"

"Aura. Aura Monray."

"Agni!"

"Yes, Prince Soma?" Agni was at Soma's side in a millisecond, looking poised to answer any command.

"Aura is now my friend," Soma announced importantly, clapping his hands like it was going to solve all his problems. "That means you are to be there for her whenever she needs something. Is that understood, Agni?"

"Yes, my prince." Agni bowed low and placed his right hand over his chest. I noticed that it was wrapped in bandages. Odd.

I was silent for a minute or so as I pondered what room to use as Soma and Agni's place of staying. I was also thinking about how random that whole "Aura is now my friend" thing Soma had just said to Agni. What brought that on, I wondered? Eventually I stopped at some random one and pointed to it. "Here. This is where you'll be staying. Do you guys have any luggage?"

As an answer, Agni suddenly held up an armful of suitcases that I knew for a fact had not been there earlier. Soma grinned proudly and gestured to his butler grandly. "Isn't Agni the greatest attendant you have ever laid your eyes on, my little _devi_?"

"Er…yes?" I wasn't too sure on how to answer, mainly because A) Soma's cute little puppy-dog look make me practically want to jump on him right at this second and hug him and B) I had seen Sebastian do some pretty unique things that would be pretty hard to rival. I waved a hand lazily towards the door and added, "Now get in there so I can go talk to my short adoptive little brother before he gets his man panties in a bunch. It was nice meeting the two of you, and I'm guessing Sebastian or someone will come by to tell you when dinner's ready."

"Farewell for now, new friend Aura!" Soma gave me another bright smile that sent happy rainbow unicorns galloping across the green pasture that is my heart. Yes, I can't believe I just used that analogy either, but I think I'm going to really like Soma. He's been the first person to compliment me and actually mean it during my stay here, I think. Therefore, it stands to reason Soma gets major brownie points for being a kiss ass.

I couldn't help sending a silent prayer of thanks up to God for sending me a blessing in the form of an Indian prince and his butler, because they made me feel the best I had felt since arriving to the Phantomhive estate.

**X~X~*~X~X**

After I left Prince Soma Asman Kadar (that's a mouthful - I wonder if it even fit on the line of his birth certificate? Wait, do people during this time period even HAVE official documents of birth?) and his butler Agni to their own devices, I quickly raced through the hallways to Ciel's office and barged through the door. "CIEL! I like those two Indian guys! They called me pretty! Well, they also said I was like the reincarnation of their crazy mofo of a goddess, but they're still cool. So what did you want to talk to me about?" Without the young earl's consent, I pulled a chair up in front of his desk and sat down with a big grin on my face. I was all happy inside now.

"That's exactly what I need to talk to you about," Ciel's eye twitched when I reclined my feet on his desk but he didn't make any move to brush them off. "Earlier today, Sebastian and I were out taking a walk. We were apprehended by a band of Indians in the poorer section of town. Then those two nobles came and stopped it. The butler - Agni - has some considerable fighting skills."

"Oh, do tell." I brought my feet off of the desk and leaned in closer to Ciel. "Did he smash their skulls open with an iron pipe?"

"It wasn't quite as elaborate as you wish it to be," Ciel rolled his eye. "Agni is just an incredibly talented fist fighter. Anyway," His face was all seriousness again. "what I need to tell you is this: the prince and his attendant just randomly appeared stating that they will stay here because of our meeting this morning. That prince…he's nothing but a spoiled brat!" Ciel suddenly spat out venomously.

"Whoa. Hatred much?" I lifted a curious eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"It's quite obvious he has never had to work for anything his entire life," Ciel replied in a low tone. "He is annoying and childish. As immature as you, almost."

"Aw, is this why you're in a crappy mood?" I laughed and patted his bluish hair. "Because Prince Soma pushed all the wrong buttons?"

"It wasn't just him," Ciel muttered, slapping my hand away in annoyance. "It was that idiot Lau as well."

"Huh? Who's Lau?"

"A Chinese aristocrat who heads a branch of a British trading company," Ciel explained. "He also doubles as an opium den manager. He's a fool who never takes anything seriously, and enjoys reveling in causing me exasperation. Honestly, Lau and you would get along, I believe."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment!" I grinned untrustingly. Seriously, I was in such a good mood right now, NOTHING could spoil it! Well, maybe except walking in on Isolde and Sebastian actually doing the nasty or Pluto committing third degree rape completely naked on me…but other than those unlikely events, nothing was going to bring me down from my high on life! Huzzah for actually being an optimistic person for once instead of my usual bitchy self! Sometimes change was needed, right? "Next time this Lau person stops by, let me know so I can meet him, okay?"

"Would you like for me to make an appointment with the Undertaker while I'm at it?" Ciel asked dryly.

"…who?"

"Never mind - I think you've made the acquaintance of enough lunatics as it is." Ciel stood up and pushed his chair in. "And Heaven forbid for you to become even more mad than you already are."

"Once again, I take it as a compliment." I responded with a teasing punch to his arm. "Hey, I have a question, though…How do you think Sebastian views me?"

…Uh…brain? Where in the hell did that come from? Are you fucking INSANE? Do you WANT Ciel to know for sure that you're pretty much slightly in love with his asshole of a demon butler? Okay, I guess Soma's compliments weren't such a good influence on me after all, because they made me say really stupid things. Goddammit.

Ciel's expression - which had originally been the perpetually annoyed one he always wore - instantly turned to a childish mischievous look. "What makes you want to that that?" He asked in a knowing tone.

I felt my face heat up. "N-no reason! I was j-just thinking about, erm, how Prince Soma and Agni were being so kind to me even though we had just met…and I guess my mind wandered?"

"They won't be so friendly towards you once they see the real you, Aura," Ciel smirked. "And do you really need to ask my guess on how Sebastian feels about you? My butler despises you, of that I'm sure. It's because you're such an annoyance that rivals even Grell's foolishness - not to mention you're very rude and improper, the exact opposite of what Sebastian wishes to see in a lady. If you were hoping my answer was going to be along the lines of Sebastian being madly in love with you, think again, Aura."

"HEY! YOU BRAT!" I flipped him off, immediately going from my oddly bubbly mood to my normal sarcastic and bitchy mood. My skin tone went from bright pink to dark red in a matter of moments as the words sunk into my brain. For now, I was going to ignore those last few sentences Ciel said and focus only on the ones that didn't have anything to do with my romantic notions. God, hormones were such a pain in the ass sometimes. "I can be nice when I want to! You just have to earn it. And those two Indian dudes have totally earned it. Because they called me pretty. Tell me I'm pretty, Ciel!" I demanded.

Ciel blinked lazily at me with uncaring eyes. "…no."

"WHY DON'T YOU LOVE ME ANYMORE?"

"I never DID love you, Aura!"

"You're so cruel, leaving me out in the cold like this," I sobbed dramatically, throwing my arms around the thirteen year old boy. "How could you, Ciel? After everything we've shared?"

"Dammit, Aura, stop being so melodramatic!" Ciel shrugged me off and began to stomp towards the door. "I'm going to go check on dinner, and I would very much appreciate it if you would go entertain our guests for the evening while I do so. Do you think you can handle that much?"

I straightened up and mock-saluted him. "Yes, sir. Right away, sir. Anything else you need me to do, sir? Perhaps give you a sponge bath or perform acupuncture for your tight and stressed out muscles, sir?"

"Just shut up and get going," Ciel sighed, smacking a palm against his forehead in exasperation.

"YES, SIR!"

"ENOUGH WITH THE FREAKING MILITARY SPEAK!"

"…YES, SIR! I PROMISE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN! SIR!"

Ciel didn't even comment; he yanked open the door and stomped out, slamming it behind him. I heard him mumbling under his breath as he walked away, causing me to grin triumphantly. "If only Sebastian was this easy to piss off…" I trailed off as I, too, walked out of Ciel's office and towards the direction of my room. I figured that the best way to keep Prince Soma and Agni entertained was by way of playing a game, and what better game to play than "Luna's Fun Time?" I should probably explain what that is - basically my cute kitten Luna plays around and you just mess with her in any way possible. As long as Luna doesn't get hurt, it's permitted.

Once I got to the room that Mey-Rin, Isolde, and I shared, I opened the door and was met with a pair of icy blue eyes. Isolde was holding up Luna in front of my face, a know-it-all look plastered on her unearthly gorgeous one. "Care to explain what this animal is doing in our room, Aura?" Isolde asked in a pleasant tone. Luna was struggling and mewling to get out of her grasp and looked at me with pleading eyes as she squirmed.

I gasped and snatched the white kitten away from the demoness. "How dare you be so cruel to an adorable ball of cuteness?" I demanded as I stroked Luna's fur comfortingly.

"So it IS yours," Isolde replied smugly, placing her hands on her hips. "Master Ciel doesn't approve of pets, you know."

"We have Pluto," I shot back.

"Yes, but he's the guard dog. He has a purpose. What's that thing's purpose?" Isolde pointed to Luna disdainfully, as if she disliked cats. Wait a moment…

I peered at Isolde curiously. "You hate cats, Isolde?" Luna was now calm and purring in my arms like a little motorboat. Kyah, so CUTE!

Isolde sniffed in a "holier than thou" motion. "I never said I did. I merely said Master Ciel does not condone the keeping of pets when they do not have a purpose beneficial to the manor or the Phantomhive household."

"Well Luna DOES have a purpose!" I held the kitten up like Rafiki did to Simba in the Lion King and said, "Her purpose is to make seemingly perfect beings like you look like a complete home wrecker and whore. There, I said it! I hate you! HAHA!" With that, I spun around (but not before relishing the shocked/bewildered/annoyed/enraged look on Isolde's face). Without looking back as I began to sprint towards where I had led Soma and Agni to, I added in a very loud tone, "By the way, ask Sebastian what his opinion of cats are! I think you'll find it very interesting!"

Oh yeah. I'm good.

Sebastian, here's a little interesting tidbit I think you'll find very useful: if you ever try to mess with me, I WILL find a way to get back at you. Ten times worse, if possible. The point it, revenge is a dish best served in the form of a very endearing kitty and a pissed off female demon who would hopefully castrate you the next time the two of you are "sustaining" yourselves.

Oh, and yeah - this is still about the whole "throwing a naked Pluto on me" thing.

What can I say? I can hold a grudge.

**Yuki: SHORT! We know! But that's because we had slight writer's block again, plus we're kinda being bombed with this research paper that's very difficult. But at least we FINALLY got to Soma and Agni, right? And yes, we're going to tweak this arc a little, mainly because sometimes it's too boring. :/**

**Hannah: Does Aura seem to be turning into a Mary Sue to you guys…? We feel like she is…**

**Yuki: And we don't want that to happen. That would be most dreadful. ._.**

**Hannah: Yes, yes it would. Anyway, thank you SO VERY MUCH for all the reviews and support this story has gotten so far! We never would have guessed ****My Soul To Steal**** would become so popular! Please don't forget to review, and we hope this was enjoyable.**

**Yuki: PS! I made a Twitter account for this FFN profile because I was bored and have no life. E-stalk us, anyone? :D (Link's on the profile around the top if you're considering checking out our Twitter)**


	15. That Girl, Wondering

**Yuki: DOUBLE RAINBOW ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE SKY.**

**Hannah: …dude. What the hell.**

**Yuki: x) I'm so freaking happy because this story has OVER 230 REVIEWS! YAY! *throws a German sparkle party* Thank you so much guys! And thanks for the compliments about Aura - we hope she stays as awesome as you guys say she is forever.**

**Hannah: Anyway…we already mentioned this before, but we won't really use the exact dialogue/scenes for the Soma and Agni arc because we're too lazy to rewatch the episodes. But they'll still be practically the same plot, just with a few variations. Please enjoy!**

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

Once I had escaped the fiery clutches of Isolde and entered the room that Soma and Agni were using, I plopped right down on the floor in front of the Indian prince and his butler and held up Luna in a glorifying manner. "This is my baby, Luna. Sebastian and Ciel told me to entertain you two until supper, so what I had in mind is playing with her."

Instantly Soma's face melted into a puddle of "Awwwww." Well, at least that's what I was pretty sure it was. He lifted the snowy white kitten from my hands and stroked her silken head very softly. I smiled as Luna purred in content. Soma looked at me with wide and wet eyes and said in an awestruck tone, "She's so very cute! Isn't she, Agni?"

Agni nodded and reached over to pat Luna as well. The kitten turned to the butler with icy blue eyes and yawned. Agni smiled and said, "We have felines back home, but not all of them are as delightful as this young one."

I did a victorious fist pump into the air and hooted excitedly. "Hell yes! My precious baby was complimented by people who actually matter!" Of course, I was thinking about Sebastian and the way that he wanted to take Luna for his own, but it would be a shame to dwell on that rain cloud of devilish doom. Doing a little happy jig, I had a short daydream in which I tortured the demon butler with a bunch of cats, and the scene made me very pleased indeed.

Suddenly Soma ripped me from my happy thoughts and said, "It is no surprise that a cat as adorable as this would belong to a girl of equal cuteness, my little _devi_!"

Well.

That was unexpected.

Wait, did he just try to hit on me again?

…Okay, you know what, I'm going to marry this Prince Soma guy, and we are going to have dozens of little American-Hindi children, and I will fucking do a whorish belly dance for him. As long as he continues to compliment me and flatter me like this. Because, all joking aside, it really makes me feel better about my whole existence here as demon crack.

"Thank you," I gushed, feeling my face turn bright pink with pleasure. You know, the more I thought about it, if I hung out with Soma and Agni any longer, I'd probably turn into one of those blonde ditz who lives only gain suck-up comments from others or something as equally horrifying as that. …I didn't really want that to happen. I guess I should go back to my regular attitude: all bitch, all day, every day. But then I'd feel bad because Soma and Agni didn't do anything to deserve it…gah, arguments with yourself just suck ass, especially when you lose them!

"Ahahaha! Look, Agni!" Soma laughed gleefully as Luna batted at the golden tassels on his exotic and foreign shawl thinger around his neck. My little kitten looked to be the exact picture of innocence right now, all I wanted to do was frolic in a field of flowers dressed entirely in pink and singing the "Cuppycake" song. You know, the one that goes "You are my honey bunch, sugarplum, pumky umpky umpkin"? Yeah, that one. It's a freaking cavity in song form. "_Devi _Aura, your baby cat is so playful!"

"Kittens normally are until they're about a year old," I explained as I watched Luna crawl onto Soma's shoulder and start nibbling on his long purple hair. IT WAS SO FUCKING CUTE. I just wanted to die! In fact, I grinned a little and said in a high pitched voice, "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!"

"No!" Soma suddenly threw his arms around me, horrified tears pouring down his dark-skinned cheeks in waterfall. I just kind of sat there in an uncertain and awkward way as the obviously overemotional prince cried out, "Do not die, Aura! You are my first friend in England, besides that little short boy named Ciel! I do not want to lose you so quickly, like I have lost my dear Meena - "

Soma cut himself off abruptly and very stiffly unwrapped his limbs from my body. Bowing his head in a downcast and reproachful manner, the prince murmured, "Please forgive me. I am being foolish." Averting his eyes, Soma handed Luna back to me and motioned to the door with a tired hand. "If you do not mind, could you please leave Agni and I be until dinner arrives, Aura? I'm afraid I am suddenly feeling over exerted. It must be from our traveling."

A bit taken aback, I just kind of stood there for a little bit as I blinked in utter confusion. What the hell had brought on Soma's sudden depression? He had just been all happy and flirtatious (even if he didn't realize the latter) one moment, and then super-duper melancholy the next. My mind traced back the conversation to that "Meena" bit. Who was Meena? Soma's girlfriend/betrothed? Oh my God, was she dead and he was here to pick out another perspective bride? OH! Or maybe she was abducted by pirates and Soma was searching for her so he could take her back to Bengal or wherever it was he and Agni were from so he could gently place her down on his bed and make passionate -

_Oh my God, what the fuck? THAT'S JUST WRONG, BRAIN! _I shook my head to rid it of all nasty images involving a very wet and buff Prince Soma slowly taking his flashy clothes off in a seductive way as a innocent and pure-looking girl reminiscent to the one on my Victorian-era dollar-store porn book's front cover. _No more sexy smut books for Aura for a good three or four years…_Actually, now that I brought the concept of years up, my seventeenth birthday was coming up soon, wasn't it? Ciel's had been on December 14...and I had arrived here sometime in October - wait, what? Two months had already gone by while I've been at the Phantomhive manor? Uh-uh, no way! That's shit! MY BIRTHDAY'S IN NOVEMBER, DAMMIT! That's not fair for time to somehow fuck around with me and completely skip the month of _Noviembre_! Oh, I am soooo blaming Sebastian for this. I'm writing a petition proclaiming that the kidnapping of innocent teenage girls before their birthdays and then having the time to warp its way so that she skips one of the most important days of the year is illegal!

"Miss Aura, my prince has asked you to exit the premises," Agni's deep voice brought me back to reality and shook me out of my slowly turning pissed mood. "I would hate to enforce his command, even if you are a friend of the prince's now."

"O-oh, sorry," I laughed nervously, gripping the fabric of my maid dress tightly in an effort to stay sane and not let the two foreign aristocrats see me lose my head. I began to head for the door. Before completely leaving, however, I took a quick look at Prince Soma. He was swimming in his own sea of mental depression and anxiety, it seemed, as he sat on the bed with a dejected expression plastered on his cute face and holding a pillow against his chest. He was gnawing on the pillow like I sometimes chewed on my nails during a really important exam because I was so stressed out and nervous.

I gave a quiet, "Goodbye" and left the room feeling very confused and wondering just why exactly Soma and Agni were in London. Absentmindedly petting Luna as if that would ease the sudden bad feeling I was starting to get in the pit of my stomach, I decided it was best to hide in my room and continue reading the book Mey-Rin had lent me until dinner was announced as being finito. So what if I caught hell from Sebastian, Ciel, or anyone else for not continuing to entertain our "guests"? I was living in hell already; like that would make much of a difference.

Huzzah for having an emo moment.

**X~X~*~X~X**

Well, time passed quickly whilst I was hiding in my room from Isolde's wrath about that little bitch moment I had with her (hey, she deserved it, don't even look at me like that! Besides, it's not like you all weren't expecting me to eventually crack and do something similar) and reading my book. I also played with Luna. I was surprised that the female demon didn't burst into my room with a hellish legion of demonic soldiers behind her to take my soul, but also pretty glad. I was angry and bewildered about the fact that I had somehow missed the day of my birthday while being back in Victorian-era England, and the last thing I needed was Isolde's shining presence bestowed upon my ignorant life. That was sarcasm, by the way.

Plus, I was considering just why Soma and Agni were here. It was obvious that Ciel was suspicious of them and didn't really like either of them, but I wasn't sure what everyone else's opinions on them were. Sebastian seemed as indifferent to them as he was to everyone else - well, who knew what actually went on in that evil mind of his - and the rest of the house servants appeared to be really excited that a prince all the way from India was staying at the Phantomhive mansion for a bit.

Well, I for one knew my outtake on Soma and Agni: they were the best things to have happened to me since coming here (besides my new gay best friend Grell) and I honestly really liked them. Agni was polite, Soma was a bit of a suck-up but in a good way, and they were both handsome beyond words. That was always a plus. Who needs sexy and arrogant demons craving your soul when there were perfectly normal human beings with a nice disposition on the other side of the door? All right, it's official; if I can, I'm getting over my crush on Sebastian (by the way, I still don't know how that ended up happening…someone want to tell me, please? Because I'd sure as hell would appreciate it) and going for Soma. Or Agni. Either one works, really.

…even though Agni's, like, twice my age I bet, and Soma's a rich prince who probably has dozens of equally rich and beautiful princesses awaiting his return to Bengal so they all can have a giant royal orgy and then have a polygamist marriage.

But I digress. A lot.

ANYWAY. When I had been holed up in my room for an hour or so, I heard Bardroy shout at the top of his lungs so that is carried throughout the house, "DINNAH'S READY!" Then I heard Sebastian's muffled voice rebuking Bard for being so loud, and I couldn't resist giving a little smirk.

Bidding Luna a reluctant farewell and telling her to stay in the room (but I let her know she didn't have to hide out in the closet all the time since Isolde now knew about her - Mey-Rin wouldn't really notice the kitten unless I pointed Luna out, so that didn't really matter anymore) I made my way to Soma and Agni's room. Cautiously, I knocked on the door and said, "Hey, I'm gonna show you guys where the dining room is."

Soma opened the door with a bright smile and enveloped me in a happy hug. "AURA!" I winced at the childish yet friendly tone in his accentuated voice, but I can't lie and say I didn't enjoy the hug. The prince let go of me and patted my head like I was a kid who had figured out where babies came from. I then realized at that moment that pretty much everyone but Lizzie and Ciel were taller than me here. …fuck. "You are such a good friend," Soma added when he noticed my slightly confused face. "I am going to pray to Kali after tonight's dinner so I can thank her for sending me your absolute radiance!"

I wonder if the Hindi (or is it Hindu...?) people taught the members of their royal family a class called "Flattery For the Privileged Individual" or something like that.

"My prince, are you ready to dine?" Agni asked as I led the two of them through the many winding hallways of the manor.

Soma clapped his hands in delight. "Oh, yes, Agni! I cannot wait to taste the fine delicacies of the English! I wonder if they have curry…"

"Just remember, Prince Soma," Agni stopped in his tracks and bowed humbly. "If you ever need me to, I will prepare you some of my curry."

"Of course you will!" Soma replied with an elegant flourish of his hand towards his butler. "Because you are my butler, and it is you're duty to please me at all costs!"

"Yes, my prince." Was it just me, or did Agni's face get all sad-puppy-dog like for a brief moment? Maybe it was a trick of the lights…yeah, that's it.

When we arrived downstairs at the dinner table, I was awestruck at what Sebastian (and Isolde as well, I'm guessing, because she was right at his side like the obedient little soul-whore she is) had prepared for the prince and his attendant: a feast of everything imaginable. I swear I saw Chinese, Spanish, British, Indian, French…every kind of cuisine that you could have dreamed of. Just looking at it made me drool and realize how hungry I was. Sebastian looked up from seating Ciel and stared at me with slightly annoyed eyes. "Did you manage to find your way around the house, Aura?" He asked. Which, of course, meant: "Did you get lost because you're an idiotic human girl and that's why it took you so damn long?"

Making a quick vow to myself right then and there to not lose my temper with the dick head today so that Soma and Agni would continue to see me in the nice way that they currently did, I replied with a humble, "Nope. Just felt like making the trip from their rooms to the dining hall as memorable as possible by having a lively conversation."

I could tell that everyone besides Soma and Agni were a bit shocked at my reply. They had probably been expecting me to bitch Sebastian out. Hey, I can turn over a new leaf every once and awhile, right? Harnessing my inner "perfect Phantomhive servant" I led both Soma and Agni over to a chair and gestured that they could sit down. Agni pulled the chair out for his prince and Soma sat down with all the elegance and grace of a noble could muster. As for Agni, the butler stood at Soma's side and was the portrait of allegiance and loyalty.

Feeling smug and proud of myself, I walked over to Mey-Rin, Finny, Bard, and Tanaka - who were gaping at me with mouths open very wide…well, Tanaka just drank his tea as always - and whispered, "How about that for being the ideal servant?"

"You actually did something right for once, yes you did!" Mey-Rin gasped in a low tone, still staring at me in shock.

Ow, that kinda hurt. "What the hell, Mey-Rin? Are you implying I fuck up all the time?" I hissed back, narrowing my eyes at the ditzy maid who had no right to say that. Hell, she screwed up all the time it wasn't even funny anymore!

"O-of course not, I just meant - "

"Mister Sebastian was betting that you would have made the prince and his servant angry by now," Finnian quickly stepped in when he realized Mey-Rin was becoming flustered. He looked at me with his big baby blue eyes and added, "I-I was sure you were going to do absolutely fine, Aura!" The gardener looked away, blushing. Poor guy, still not over that apparent crush he had on me.

"Tch!" A corner of Bardroy's lips quirked upwards and he placed his chin in his hand thoughtfully. "No you weren't, Finny! You believed Aura would make a mess outta somethin' just like th' rest o' us!" The cook smirked at me slightly when I just glowered.

I turned to Tanaka and said, "Well, what do you have to say about all of this, oh most wise steward?"

As I expected, Tanaka simply took a sip of his tea and laughed his "lulz I'm Santa who's smoked too much weed and now my throat's all raw" chuckle. "Ho, ho, ho, ho…"

"_Yaha adbhuta hai_!" Prince Soma suddenly cried out, jumping to his feet and brandishing a spoon dripping some type of soup ferociously. I was suddenly afraid that he was going to start trying to stab us all with it and scoop out our eyeballs. But then he said, "This is wonderful! You are most indeed an excellent chef!" This, of course, was aimed at Sebastian, who just modestly bowed with respect but said nothing.

I looked over at Agni, who remained stony-faced and appeared to be awaiting any orders from Soma. Sliding my glance to Isolde, I noticed that she narrowed her eyes at me and mouthed something that looked very…mean. I was glad, for once in my life, of my inability to read lips. Finally casting my eyes to Ciel, I couldn't resist letting out a short and soft laugh at how bored the young earl looked. _He's probably wishing he was back in his office playing chess or plotting world domination_, I thought in amusement.

"Sebastian, was it?" Soma asked Sebastian, who merely nodded. The Indian prince smiled thoughtfully and gestured down to the feast in front of him. "I think you and my butler Agni should have a culinary duel of a sorts soon. I would very much like to see your cooking skills put to the test against his. After all," Here Soma laughed heartily. "you have already shown your ability in fighting!"

"I believe that to be an excellent idea," Ciel finally spoke, seeming to come alive a little. I remembered what he had told me about Agni and how the Indian butler's hand-to-hand combat almost rivaled even Sebastian's despite the latter being a demon. I realized, with a start, that perhaps my adoptive little brother enjoyed seeing Sebastian's abilities put to the test. _Oh, you mischievous little brat, you_, I affectionately thought as a grin plastered itself to my lips. "Sebastian? What say you?" Ciel suddenly smirked at his butler knowingly.

Sebastian, I could tell, was getting a bit peeved at Ciel's impish nature beginning to reveal itself. His mouth set in a straight line, the black-clad butler had no other choice to bow and utter those three magic words: "Yes, my lord."

Oh, yeah. Soma and Agni's visit was going to be an utter joy. I'm starting to get excited!

**X~X~*~X~X**

After dinner, somehow one thing led to another and pretty soon Sebastian and Agni were going at it with those stubby-tipped swords that you use in fencing practice - apparently, Sebastian was just one hell of a tutor to Ciel in that department. Basically the two were fucking EPIC, and I almost crapped my pants from the sheer awesomeness of the fight. Yeah, I know that's not much of a description, but don't shoot me. I can't really describe major fighting scenes. Well, except for the ending battles that take up the whole last half of the Transformers movies with Shia LaBeouf. Those aren't too hard to talk about in detail:

"Oh look, an explosion! Holy shit, a robot alien! OH MY GOD THE MOUNTAIN DEW VENDING MACHINE TURNED INTO A ROBOT AND IT'S SHOOTING MOUNTAIN DEW CANS AT PEOPLE - haha, the bad guy alien robot dude died…aw, now they're making out. That's cute."

Ah, now there's a hottie. Shia LaBeouf. Holes is one of my favorite movies, even though its back when he wasn't "la-BEOUF". …that was a really bad pun, sorry. And I'm getting off track. Moving on.

Anyway, with the whole epic fight between the two butlers, everyone went off to bed to get rested up for another day of doing nothing. Because that's what it felt like to me what we were doing - absolutely nothing. Although it was better than skulking around in creepy abandoned mansions with living dolls at every corner waiting to attack us…eugh. Yep, still having nightmares over that little episode.

As soon as I hit the pillow, I fell asleep right away. And had a most distressing dream. Wanna hear about it? No? Well, TOO BAD, because you're going to have to suffer through it anyway. HAH, HOW 'BOUT 'DEM APPLES?

I was walking through the halls of my school in my precious Mamma Mia! T-shirt (shut up, it's a bitchin' musical and the movie was amazing as well) when some voices caught my ear. I noticed a door to my left and entered it only to find myself in…my living room at home? My dad and my mom were standing there with Zoe, and they were all crying. Stiffening, I watched as the events unfolded.

"I don't know where!" Zoe sobbed, leaning against the couch and shaking from the force of her crying. "She just disappeared when this cosplayer suddenly appeared!"

"Zoe, please," My mom's eyes were all puffy and red. "Just tell us. We know Aura doesn't always agree with everyone around her, but she would never run away or make you come up with a story as obscene as that. Just tell us…where our dear girl went." She collapsed into a fit of silent crying.

My dad, who was always so humorous and never one to frown in front of me, grabbed Zoe by the shoulders and shook her. "Where is she?" He demanded in a slightly crazed manner. "Where's Aura, Zoe?"

Zoe just started to sob again and pushed my dad away, running upstairs to what I suspected was my room. I could hear her hysterics loud and clear. My parents turned to each other and hugged, both crying fully now. I ran at them, trying to join in the hug only to pass right through them as if I were Casper the friendly ghost. They started to beseech the gods, asking where I was. I thought I was going to cry, too. I stood there, shaking with tears that just wouldn't come, and yelled at the top of my lungs, "I'M RIGHT HERE!"

But it didn't do any good, and I suddenly woke up sweaty and shaking.

I gulped in a deep breath of air like I had been underwater for an hour or two and just shivered even though the blankets I was using normally made me overheated. Gripping the fabric tightly, I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes, leaning back and pressing the back of my head against the bed frame. It was cold, but felt good on my flaming skin on the nape of my neck.

Had I just witnessed how my parents were reacting to my disappearance? Or…was it just a very detailed dream? I didn't know. What I did know was that I missed home. I missed my parents, no matter how much their hipster ways embarrassed or annoyed me. I missed my best friend Zoe, even though her anime and manga obsession could get on my nerves. I even missed my school, despite all the stupid people and bitchy teachers and the homework - not to mention my clinically insane literature teacher Mrs. Gilroy, who thought that we were still living in the 1950's and that meant that every family was required to build a bomb shelter.

Wiping my eyes as I let well overdue tears leak out, I sniffed and pulled the covers over my head like I used to when I was younger, whenever I was really upset about something. For some reason I used to think that being surrounded by darkness created by bed sheets would make everything better in the world.

"I wanna go home," I whispered into my artificial night. "I miss everyone. I don't want to be the girl who's soul purpose in life here is just to die and get my soul taken away by a demon. I want to be normal again. I don't want to be a…a…a fucking Mary Sue!" I was referring to the characters created by fan fiction writers, ones who were perfect and had the entire world bend to their every whim and then have something tragic happen to them. N-not that I've actually ever READ something as stupid as fan fiction, Zoe used to tell me stuff about it all the time! …okay, maybe I have read some, but it was for fucking Harry Potter, and I pride myself in being an total noob for that series.

I think I cried for a good fifteen minutes, feeling absolutely relieved despite the scratchiness that was now dwelling in my eyes. Just as I was about to fall back asleep, I heard some muffled voices speaking in urgent tones passing by the door. It sounded like Sebastian and Ciel. Curious, I quietly crept out of the bed as to not to wake up Mey-Rin or Isolde - although I think Isolde was just pretending to be asleep. Oh well, we'll find out later. I cracked open the door and stuck my head out into the hallway but there was no one there. I grabbed the coat hanging off the coat rack by the door and slid out of the door, about to head towards where the voices were when I heard a soft meow and looked down to see Luna staring at me with her bright and intelligent eyes. It was kind of eerie how they were the exact same blue shade as mine, almost as if I were staring into the pupils of my twin in cat form.

"Hi, sweet girl," I whispered, bending down to pet her. Luna purred and butted her head affectionately against my hand. "I'm going to go be a secret agent and check things out, okay? Be good while I'm gone." I started back out the door but Luna tugged on my pants (I had resolved to wearing a pair of Bard's work pants that were too small for him and a ratty old shirt of Finny's for pajamas as opposed to that old lady gown) and mewled again plaintively. Looking down at her, I asked softly, "Do you want to come?" I could have sworn she nodded. Luna winded in between my legs and began to trot down the hallway, which I took as a cue to follow her.

I love that cat. Sebastian may be an ass, but at least he has good taste in animals.

Trailing after the little white furball, I came to a stop at the hallway near the front entrance when Luna sat down and tilted her head at me in a "Listen" gesture. So I did.

Ciel, Soma, Sebastian, and this guy I had never seen before were all dressed to go outside and talking. The guy I didn't recognized looked to be Asian, probably Chinese. He was dressed in an elegant Oriental robe. There was this chick wrapped around his arm who looked like an Asian version of that one really famous porn star who I can't remember the name of right now. Soma looked really upset, Ciel looked annoyed, Sebastian had an expression that was a mixture of feelings, and the two people whom I hadn't had the fortune to meet were complete opposites: the guy looked amused and a bit high, for lack of better terms, and the girl looked emotionless.

"I am going," Soma stomped his foot down in finality. "Do not try to stop me, Ciel Phantomhive. I have more reason to know why my butler is sneaking out that you do."

Ciel placed an exasperated palm to his forehead and sighed. "I wasn't really trying to stop you. Be my guest. Wander the streets of London at night when you're unfamiliar with its layout and completely alone."

Soma looked a bit uncomfortable and didn't say a word.

Sebastian took over from there. "Bocchan, why don't we escort the Prince Soma? I have a suspicion as to where Agni has disappeared to. I will lead you."

"And I will come as well~," The Chinese guy added in a dreamy tone, smiling widely. I noticed that he kept his eyes closed, kind of like Brock from Pokemon. Creepy. Yes, I know I made that weird comparison, shut the fuck up. Pokemon was boss until they started adding all those retarded new Pokemon. I drew the line when they created the Unova region or whatever the hell that's called, they just completely ruined my childhood with that decision.

Ciel looked like he didn't want to argue but sighed as to keep his cool and nodded slowly. "Fine, Lau. Just don't be a bother to us."

"Of course not, my dear earl Phantomhive~!"

Oh, so THIS was Lau. And how the fudge buckets on a cookie monkey's arse did Ciel think he and I would get along well? See what I did there, I used a kid friendly curse word instead of the usual "shit" or "fuck." …although I guess right there I kind of ruined the whole point of the anti-profanity. Oh well.

Soma looked down and bit his lip, then looked at Sebastian and Ciel with determined eyes. "You have my thanks for offering your assistance…but, I suppose, that is the duty of someone underneath one that is of a royal bloodline like myself." The prince's tone indicated that he was completely oblivious to how angry that appeared to make Ciel.

"I shall lead the way, then," Sebastian opened the front door and a blast of chilly wind drifted into the house. I shivered a little as I watched the group take off into the wintry night. I waited a good five or six minutes, just staring at the empty foyer, and then looked down at Luna. She was staring right back up at me with amused feline eyes.

"Shall we follow?" I asked her. "It sounds like Agni snuck out for some reason…I kinda want to know why. We can be ninjas. You up for it, baby girl?"

"Mreow," Luna patted at my foot with her paw and trotted over to the door. I took that as a yes and walked over there as well, pulling on the snow boots I kept around there and bundling up. I picked Luna up and tucked her inside the second coat I was wearing so that only her head was showing. I could feel her contended purrs even through my first jacket. "Mrowwwl," Luna complained when I zipped up a little too tight. I apologized and adjusted my layers accordingly. God, she was so freaking adorable, she even gave Ciel a run for his money.

"Ready to commence Operation: Stalk Soma and everyone else to see what Agni's up to?" I inquired of the kitten, bracing myself for the bitter cold I suspected was awaiting the two of us. I'm not even messing around anymore, Luna nodded. Like, legit "I can understand everything you're saying beeyatch" nodded. And even though that creeped me out more than I care to admit it, I nodded along with the young cat, opened the door, and stepped out into the midnight winter wonderland that surrounded the Phantomhive manor like bacon surrounding duck rumaki - which, by the way, is fucking delicious. It was time to start relying on my own skills and be what I've always wanted to be…the female version of James Bond.

Actually, that was a hysterical joke right there, because I'm in England right now and I'm going to act like a ninja. Hah. I'm a regular old riot. …shut the hell up.

**Yuki: DID U LAIK IT? Personally I think we do pretty well with this chapter. We stuck with the same plot only we tweaked it here and there. I WANT A LUNA.**

**Hannah: But you already have Misha and Evie.**

**Yuki: …Yeah, but Luna's smart! Misha and Evie are pretty much mentally handicapped for kitties. **

**Hannah: True. They do run into the door a lot. Woops, getting off track. ANYWHO! We hope this was a good chapter - we tried to incorporate Aura's inside anxiety about how things are doing back home even though she tries to hide her fear about it. Now please review and excuse us while we go watch Two and a Half Men.**

**Yuki: ASHTON KUTCHER, WAI U NO MARRY MEHZ? DX**


	16. That Girl, Disturbed

**Sorry for a late update, but there are legitimate reasons as to why this is behind schedule: homework, homework, being busy with errands, more homework, author's block, and my grandpa's been in the hospital since Friday, so I've been out of town visiting him. Hannah didn't feel comfortable writing without me so that's why she didn't do anything. Anyway, as always, this chapter will not exactly follow the dialogue of the Soma and Agni arc but it will have the same basic idea. Warning, though: this can get extremely dry because it's pretty much the episode. Some parts I just summarized what happened instead of actually writing it out, but since that's Aura's personality I figured it would work out. This chapter is also ungodly long. Well, I think so. Now I'll shut up and start this long overdue chapter.**

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

It was cold, it was dark, I was wearing nothing but two layers of winter clothes over my pajamas, and I kept thinking that someone was going to come out of nowhere and rape me. But other than that, ninja-ing through the streets of London in the middle of the night following a ragtag group of people (who were being led by the demon butler who desired your soul) was actually pretty damn fun, especially when I found out that I could sing the Secret Agent Man theme song and no one would tell me to shut up. Well, Luna gave me a look of kitty annoyance that kind of said it, but I ignored her.

…until I ran into a telephone poll because I wasn't watching where she had ducked into a corner of the street. That got me to shut up.

Anyway, everything was going pretty well until Luna stopped in front of this big, fancy, Victorian-style mansion similar to the Phantomhive Manor. Confused, I crept to where she was hiding (Behind some evergreen bushes next to the front gate) and watched as Sebastian leapt over the fence with both Soma and Ciel in tow. The Chinese dude, Lau, and his little decorative lady-friend were nowhere to be seen. From what I had gained from the way Ciel had described the Chinese mafia leader to me, I guessed Lau had gotten bored and left.

I waited for a little bit and then looked down at Luna. "Which way should we go in?" There were some guards at the gate who hadn't had the misfortune of noticing the three intruders, and I figured they were going to get fired real soon after this.

Luna meowed, nuzzled against my leg, and trotted right into the gateway. I watched with a gaping mouth as the two guards stared at Luna in confusion, and then suddenly their gazes got all hypnotized-like. I was pretty sure my jaw was sitting on the snow-covered sidewalk when they opened the gates and bowed down to my little white kitten as if she were some member of a royal family. Luna looked back at me with those eerily blue eyes of hers and gave me a look that seemed to say, "Well, come on!"

I gulped and, fearing the worse, slowly shuffled out from my hiding spot. When I got to the gate, the two guards stared at me with glassy eyes and bowed deeply. "Right this way, my lady," One of them suddenly said, gesturing to the front door as if they had been expecting me.

I struggled for a response but eventually gave up, opting for just following Luna and saying when I caught up with her at the door, "Luna, I'm not even gonna ask how you managed to do that, but I'm gonna say this: You are one hell of a ninja cat."

Luna purred loudly in a way of appreciation, I supposed, and scratched at the door. I took that as my cue to open it, which I did cautiously. I was afraid that someone might be waiting right behind it with a gun to shoot me with. Luckily, when I opened the door and stepped into the gaudy and decorated foyer, the only thing "alive" was the fern plant in the corner. (That looked like it needed some serious TLC, by the way). The entire house was kind of dark, save for a few lit candles hanging from the wall and the dim chandelier attached to the ceiling.

"What now?" I kept my voice down, still suspicious and thinking that someone was going to attack me from behind and sell me into human trafficking or the black market for my beautiful skin. All right, I know that's a lie, they'd put me on the black market just because of my pure awesomeness. "Who even lives here, anyway?"

As an answer, Luna marched off into the hallway without any warning. I was really starting to think there was something…abnormal…about that cat. Either that, or she really just was one hell of a cat. I was going to worry about that later, however, and concentrate on not getting lost for now. _What the hell is it with the English and their confusing as crap fancy manors?_ I thought to myself as I wandered through the hallways, trailing behind Luna. _It's almost as if they WANT their visitors to get lost. …well, to be fair, I'm more of an intruder, not a visitor, exactly._

I was lost in my own little dream world of thoughts and almost didn't realize that Luna had stopped right at one of the corners of the hallway that we were sneaking through. Creeping up quietly behind the white cat, I peeked my head around the corner and widened my eyes as I saw Ciel, Sebastian, and Soma opening a door a little and looking as if they were listening. The only light that was in this particular hallway was from the door they were peeking into, and I could hear voices talking from inside it.

I craned my head and, making sure I was concealed from Sebastian and the rest of them for the most part, began to listen in on the conversation.

"Why not relax with a nice Scotch? It's an excellent one from Justerini & Brooks… they hold he Royal Warrant you know." That was some uppity sounding British guy. I was quite curious as to who he was speaking with. When there appeared to be no answer from the other person in the conversation, he continued: "Our plans have been perfect so far. You've done well for me, Agni. I think we've done all we need to. Stringing up anyone else won't be necessary." There was a sound as if someone was dropping a few papers onto a desk, and the speaker added, "With this blessed hand of yours, the Royal Warrant may as well already be in my pocket."

"A Royal Warrant!" I heard Ciel mutter in a somewhat peeved tone. "So that's what this is about."

_What's a Royal Warrant?_ I thought in confusion.

Suddenly a deep voice with an Indian accent I knew as Agni said, "If I carry out this plan of yours, then Meena - "

At this, I saw Soma's eyes widen in utter shock and he suddenly barged into the room, practically screaming in rage, "Where is Meena?"

_Some serious shit is about to go down_. I watched as Ciel and Sebastian stiffened against the wall, still peering inside the door. I heard the first guy who had spoken ask in utter bewilderment, "Who are you?" before I heard Agni's shocked and horrified voice butt in and say, "M-my prince…!"

"Have you known where Meena has been all this time, Agni?" Soma demanded. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was close to tears. I was instantly hit with a feeling of sympathy for the poor guy. Whoever this Meena person was, she must have been very important to Soma. It kind of made me wish someone cared for me that much, but I brushed off that notion pretty damn quickly. In this universe, compassion would get you nowhere, from what I had seen so far - you had to rely on your own instincts and talents to get by.

"I see…so this young man must be your…master." I couldn't help it anymore. I had to see what was going on. Ignoring Luna's mewls of protest, I calmly walked to where Ciel and Sebastian were (who gave me surprised stares when they noticed I had most likely followed them), and I peeked into the room. The guy who I assumed was the British dude who had just spoken was nothing special; brown hair, middle aged, but dressed very nicely. Agni and Soma were staring at each other with expressions that conveyed extreme guilty (Agni) and stunned betrayal (Soma). Soma was holding Agni by the collar, his dark skin white around the knuckles from gripping so hard on the fabric.

"You are the man who took Meena away!" Soma accused angrily, releasing Agni with a disgusted jerk and pointing to the man. I suddenly recognized him: Harold West Jeb, or something like that. I remembered reading something in the newspaper that he was a guy who managed imports from India and he owned various types of stores, like coffee shops. I also remembered that lately there had been a string of murders of which the victims would be strung up on doorframe's with insulting things towards the British written on them. _And this West guy had a bunch of corpses hanging around his house not too long ago_, I realized with a start. _The plot thickens… _"Get this man, Agni!" Soma commanded. "Do you understand me?"

Agni just stared at Harold West Jeb with sorrowful grey eyes, his shoulders shaking with repressed sobs. Mr. West just smirked knowingly and let out a few short laughs.

"What are you waiting for?" Soma demanded, his voice getting weaker than before, as if he had lost all authority. "Why aren't you obeying me, Agni?"

"Aren't we gonna do something?" I demanded harshly in a quiet tone, glaring at Sebastian since he was the person with the most power in this type of position. "Or are we just gonna watch as Soma gets verbally abused like the fat nerdy kid no one likes at school?"

"Why are you not at home in bed, Aura?" Sebastian calmly replied, completely ignoring my questions. Ass hole. The only thing that kept me from punching him in that smug and sexy face of his was Luna nipping on my legs in protest of my actions and the threat of being seen by the enraged people inside the room. Oh, and the fact that I knew Sebastian could probably kick my ass if he wanted to. But I preferred not to think about that.

"Because I wanted to see what was going on, duh!" I snapped in answer, bending down to pick up Luna. I noticed Sebastian giving her a very slight nod, which made me suspicious, but I didn't dwell on that. We had more urgent matters to attend to at the moment.

"Aura, you should have stayed home," Ciel whispered in exasperation, rolling his visible eye at me. "We can handle this ourselves."

"Yeah, well, I felt left out," I huffed, looking away in embarrassment. "I don't like being left alone in the mansion."

"…our entire staff is there as well." Bother Sebastian and Ciel stated at the same time, looking at me with "Are you fucking serious?" expressions. I just stuck my tongue out very immaturely at them and went back to listening to the conversation.

"Agni, are you going to take care of this brat for me?" West asked, looking bored. I felt the urge to punch the guy. He called my nice Indian prince a brat!

"This BRAT?" Soma stepped back, obviously offended. He scowled, the perfect picture of the sin of "wrath." Agni's shoulders shook, but he suddenly lunged at his prince, a determined yet pained expression gracing his handsome face. Soma stood there in disoriented shock as his butler came at him with his bandaged hand, and before I could blink, a black mass suddenly appeared in front of Soma, halting Agni's aggressive assault. The figure was dressed in a very familiar black suit, and had…a deer head. No, I'm completely serious: IT WAS A DEER MAN.

I looked around wildly for Sebastian and then stared at the new figure in the room in disbelief. "Did he really just…" I trailed off, shaking my head. "Ciel, please tell me that's not Sebastian."

Ciel looked a bit miffed as well, but he nodded. "It appears so."

"Where the hell did he get a deer head?"

"From the wall, I believe. He's wearing it so West doesn't recognize him. No be silent!" The young earl snapped.

"What the hell? A deer man?" Harold West Jeb (that is way too long of a name, so I'm gonna just refer to him as "West" from now on) gaped in surprise at Sebastian - I mean DEER MAN - and added, "What the hell is going on?"

The "deer" turned to West and nodded slightly. "Yes, thank you for pointing out the obvious. I am most indeed a deer. I have come for Prince Soma."

"He's a foreign spy!" West snarled, turning to Agni. "Kill him!"

"I am simply one hell of a deer - "

West cut off Sebastian's reply with, "Kill him, damn you! What the hell are you waiting for, Agni? Do something or our agreement is over with!" when Agni hesitated to make a move. Agni's eyes widened, and West added, "NOW!"

Agni clenched his bandaged fist and then, blinking, started to leak red tears from his eyes. I reeled back in shock when I realized it was…blood. Talk about creepy. Now instead of killer dolls, I'm going to have nightmares about people crying blood on me. Great. Agni fell to his knees, shoulders racking with silent sobs. "Ever since the day I was reborn, I have had only one God and master. I vowed that I would never swing my fist for anyone but him! I am guilty of betraying that vow." Agni's eyes snapped open, and he stared straight at Soma. "Please forgive me!"

"Do not do it, Agni!" Soma begged, looking absolutely terrified. "I beseech of you; do not do it!"

Agni ignored Soma, tearing off the bandages off of his right hand with a loud yell of gibberish. Ciel and I both jumped back slightly, startled. Agni's stormy grey eyes turned white, and this really weird purple haze surrounded him. I wanted to make some crack about eating too much curry, but I knew this wasn't the time. Agni lunged at Soma and Sebastian - Deer, sorry - but the "deer" grabbed the Indian prince and dodged the blow effortlessly. The foreign butler's fist landed in the concrete floor instead, sending pieces all over the room.

This was pretty much how the fight went - Agni throwing punches and Sebastian jumping away from each one, causing Soma's precious butler to beat the shit out of West's nicely furbished room. Frankly, the asshole probably deserved it. Sebastian suddenly turned his head in the direction of Ciel and I, gesturing with a nod that it was time for us to leave. I grabbed Ciel's arm with my hand and let Luna drop from my arms so she could lead us to the exit. Before we ran away, Ciel yelled, "Sebastian, grab that moron and get out of here! You're attracting too much attention to yourself!"

Sebastian replied with an expected, "Yes, my lord."

I took a chance and looked back at the scene with worried eyes; Sebastian was trailing right behind us, Soma slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and pounding on his back childishly. I could hear loud sobs coming from within the now-destroyed room, and I didn't have to see it to know it was Agni.

**X~X~*~X~X**

Needless to say, it was a pretty awkward return to the mansion. Soma didn't speak at all and refused to look at anyone. No one even yelled at me when I started making inappropriate perverted jokes. The depressing mood finally got to me and I just shut up the rest of the way. When we finally got there, instead of moping off into his room like I expected him to, Soma went straight to the kitchen and sat down, staring mournfully at the wall. _Well, he's sulking still_, I thought sadly as I followed close behind him. Sebastian and Ciel did as well.

Before I knew it, we all were holding teacups (but I didn't drink any of it since tea is nasty - what I wouldn't give for a Pepsi or even a root beer…) and just quietly drinking it. Finally, when the silence became unbearable, I couldn't help asking, "Uh, Soma, I know you probably don't want to talk about this, but…what the hell was Agni doing when he got all glowy and was punching the shit out of the floor?"

"Samahdi," Soma answered bleakly. "It is a mental technique that makes him invincible."

"…never heard of it."

"I imagine it is like a trance," Sebastian explained calmly, because of course the bastard knew absolutely every freaking thing. "Agni has absolute faith in his master. Consequently, from that faith, he is able to produce superhuman power. His skills are born of something we could never understand: the power of complete love and trust in another person."

"Well isn't that special," I muttered, feeling a bit put off. Sebastian sure as hell wasn't the best person to talk about "love" and "trust" and all that warm fuzzy stuff. He's been screwing around with my emotions from day one, for shit's sake! Well, I guess he DID say that we weren't the type of people to understand the bond between Agni and Soma…although I'd beg to differ, since I'm the most loving person in the whole room. …I'm being sarcastic here, people.

"But this betrayal… why would he do it?" The prince gritted out, leaning forward so his bangs shielded his eyes from the others in the room. "WHY DO THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO ME ALWAYS LEAVE?" Soma shrieked, bringing his fists down onto the table with a loud bang. He lashed out, flinging the tea cups off the table. They fell to the floor, shattering.

"H-hey! Soma, calm down!" I got up and made a move to comfort him, but Sebastian grabbed my arm and shook his head in a "Leave him be" manner. I frowned but sat down, watching as Soma ran out of the kitchen crying. We were all silent for a moment.

"Children," Sebastian remarked in a false cheery voice as he picked up the broken teacups. "So unpredictable. So melodramatic. It's a shame this tea set is now damaged," The demon butler tsked, shaking his head sadly. "It was so well suited for you, Bocchan." I wanted to say something to defend Soma, but Sebastian cut me off with, "I believe I should teach the prince a lesson. Naughty children deserve to be punished, no?"

…and thus, my argument that Sebastian is actually a child pedophile continues.

Well, anyway, Ciel told Sebastian not to scare Soma TOO badly and the demon butler went off to, I dunno, tell Soma to stop being such a crybaby I guess. I'm going to summarize what went on because yes, I was being a creeper and listening and no, I don't feel like explaining the WHOLE FUCKING THING because I am just that much of a lazy ass. Deal with it, bitches. This is my story to tell, and I'm going to tell it however the fuck I want.

Basically Sebastian told Soma off for being a baby (told you) and I learned that Meena used to be Soma's old caretaker - apparently she disappeared awhile back and the prince thought she had been kidnapped by some British entrepreneur. Then Sebastian started to say that Soma couldn't have "lost" anything because he had never "gained" it - it was all from his parents due to them being royal. Sebastian was being a total jackass, but I was actually starting to see his point.

Well, after that was said and done, Soma flipped out and started yelling and stuff, and Sebastian was REALLY starting to get out of hand. He said stuff like "no one has ever loved you." I was horrified, but too uncertain to stop it. But then Ciel came in all his short glory and bitched Sebastian out about being too harsh. And then Ciel got all mopey like and started comparing himself to Soma…and then I felt bad…and then Soma apologized for being immature…and then I went to bed because I was so exhausted it wasn't even funny.

Yeah, boy. How's that for a descriptive narration? …shut up, I'm not good with describing that kind of stuff, okay?

**X~X~*~X~X**

The next morning the entire household staff knew nothing of Agni's betrayal and our little "excursion" to Harold West's house. They didn't really ask questions, although I was betting Isolde had gotten every little detail from Sebastian when I wasn't looking. As the day passed on, I learned a few things: that a Royal Warrant was "an endorsement bestowed by the royal family on their favorite venders, and that Royal Warrant holders are official purveyors to the crown." …whatever that means. I also learned that the Queen of England had a curry fetish, apparently, so there was some curry making contest being held in a week. Soma was sure that Agni was going to compete as West's chef, and the Indian prince said that Agni's curry was a gift from Kali (just like his magical hand). I wanted to make some reference about me being Kali, since I remembered what Soma and Agni had said to me when they first arrived, but I was kind of afraid to since I wasn't sure how the prince would react. Anyway, Ciel and Sebastian then started to talk about how if West got a Royal Warrant for winning in the curry competition, then his sales would skyrocket. At this point, frankly, I stopped listening because I was more concerned with how I was going to bring up the subject of my missing birthday up so I could blame Sebastian for it.

It wasn't until Sebastian proudly proclaimed that he would be honored to serve as the Phantomhive chef for the curry contest that I realized I had been spacing out for almost the entire conversation.

"Wait, what are we talking about?" I asked, returning to the real world and looking at Sebastian in confusion.

He smirked slightly. "You know, Miss Aura, having a bad attention span can be detrimental to how much you succeed in life."

"Shut the hell up and please explain to me what's going on," I deadpanned, not amused.

"Sebastian is going to enter the curry contest as the Phantomhive chef," Ciel answered for his butler. "We will win the Royal Warrant from Her Majesty, the Queen."

"But," Soma leapt to his feet, golden eyes wide with worry. "they have Agni on their side! He has the Right Hand of God - no one can match him in making curry!" His gaze got distant and sad for a brief moments, making me feel the urge to hug him and tell him everything was going to be all right. I resisted, though. …but it was really hard to. _Damn freakin' royalty for being so cute._

Ciel sighed and looked at Sebastian. "Sebastian, you will not have any problems in defeated Agni's curry, will you?"

"Of course not, my young master." Sebastian bowed. "I will admit to Agni having incredible combat skills, but this is a cooking contest. I believe I have the upper hand in this, so-to-speak." Oh look, the demon butler made a pun. Ha ha, I'm so amused. I'm laughing very hard on the inside right now. NOT.

"You do not understand!" Soma fretted. "None of you have seen his true power! No one - not anyone from Bengal, and certainly not someone from London - can defeat Agni's culinary skills. I said it before; he has been blessed by the gods, and making curry is his utmost strength." Soma paused, then looked at each of us in turn. "None of you know REAL curry."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I do," I held my hand up, interrupting the conversation. "There's this Indian restaurant I go to all the time, and it has the best curry ever. If that's not 'real' then what is?"

"The key to curry is a mixture of spices. The possibilities are infinite. Choosing the right one is a very difficult task. It is… like trying to find one truth in a vast universe…! But Agni can do it. He creates worlds out of nothing. His power is on the same plane as the Gods! That is why he is known as the Godly Right Hand of Kali." Wow. Dude can get pumped over a simple thing like curry. And I thought I was overly dramatic.

"Well then," Sebastian stood up and brushed his hands off. "I suppose I should get started in perfecting the art of making curry, do you not agree?" His burgundy eyes scanned the kitchen, and he waved his hand at Ciel, Soma, and I. "If you would not mind, I would like some privacy before beginning. I will need to think."

"Since when have you needed to 'think' before you actually did something?" I mumbled as I followed Soma and Ciel out of the kitchen. "As 'one hell of a butler,' thinking doesn't really suit your style, Sebastian dear." I paused before adding in a slightly snobbish tone, "I think your skills are deteriorating!"

I just smirked when Sebastian heaved a loud sigh and turned his gaze upwards, as if asking God why he put me on this earth.

**X~X~*~X~X**

Let's just say, when Sebastian gets into a curry-making state, HE REALLY GETS INTO A CURRY-MAKING STATE. Seriously, for the next couple of days, all I seemed to do was taste his curry (which most of the time was a failure, according to Soma, but I thought it was actually pretty good…but like I'd admit that to the demon bastard, he had a big enough ego as it is) and get kicked out of the kitchen every time I walked in there to get something, like a glass of water. I was starting to get a little pissed. However, I realized this was all for the good of the Phantomhive family - and Soma - so I just sucked it up.

…okay, that's a lie, I actually blew up at Sebastian and called him a few choice words when I caught him walking through the hallways. And then I took it upon myself to finally accuse him of making me miss my birthday. Which is how I found myself I this current situation. In the hallway. Alone. With Sebastian. Yelling at him. …huzzah.

"This is all your fault, you fucking demon bastard!" I shrieked after I had called him a word even worse than that, letting out all the anger I had been bottling up for quite some time at Sebastian. My face was red with fury, I was sure.

Sebastian just rose one elegant eyebrow at me and tilted his head inquiringly. "Pardon me, Miss Aura, but I am afraid I haven't the foggiest of what you are going on about." He started to walk down the hallway again, most likely going through more curry recipes in his mind.

I marched right up to his back and grabbed the end of his tailcoat, tugging on it so that Sebastian would turn around. I really don't know why I had chosen this specific time to voice my frustrations on the demon butler, but hey - like they say, there's no time like the present. "Because of you, I've missed my seventeen birthday. Because of you, I'm gonna live the rest of my life here as the residential demon crack until you finally decide it's time for me to be your little midnight snack. And because of you, I want to punch little kittens to vent out my anger whenever you piss me off! I hate you, Sebastian!"

Sebastian sighed in a way reminiscent to dealing with a spoiled child and very gently pried my fingers from his tailcoat. I didn't notice that I was shaking so badly. "Come now, Aura; must you act like a little girl who never gets her way?"

"No!" I snarled, glaring at him. "I'm angry right now, okay? And stressed! Just let me yell at you, damn it!" I paused, then heatedly added, "Seriously, though I'm fucking PISSED that I missed my birthday! It's because you kidnapped me and brought me here!"

"You know, Aura, we can always throw a birthday party for you," Isolde butted in on the conversation, because she just so happened to be walking by. I swear, Isolde and Sebastian planned these things just so they could gang up on me. Someday they were going to gang-soul-steal on me. I can sense it. Because I have Spidey senses.

I considered what the female hell spawn had just said.

Considered it for a little bit more.

And just a little longer…

"No fucking way." I crossed my arms stubbornly and shook my head. "I can deal with my invisible birthday now. I'd rather have it that way than a DEMON throwing me a party. Now, if you'd excuse me, I'm going to go sulk in my room like an angst-ridden hormonal teenage girl about how much my life sucks." With that, I spun around and stomped off.

Before I was completely out of earshot, however, I heard Sebastian say loudly with the clear intention of my listening to it, "My, my, my, Isolde…I know I have mentioned this before, but does it not seem that humans these days have gotten less intelligent? It must be bad breeding, I suppose. What say you?"

"GO TO HELL, YOU _ARSCHLOCH_!" I screamed, glad that for once, my summer class of German that I had taken back in freshman year had finally paid off.

"I have already been there, Aura. Would you like me to take you along with me next time?" Sebastian asked in a humored tone.

I just fumed and stomped off.

**X~X~*~X~X**

Before we realized it, the curry contest was upon us, and the entire Phantomhive household was making their way to the Crystal Palace. I shit you not, that's its actual name, and it really does look like it was made out of crystal. It was all glittery and stuff, and made me feel like I was on acid. N-not that I've actually ever BEEN on an acid trip…shut up! I'm clean and sober, all right? That one time when I was ten and it was my aunt's wedding and I accidentally drank an entire glass of wine because I thought it was special grape juice does not count!

A-anyway…

Sebastian and Ciel had come up with some secret recipe that they wouldn't tell anyone about. Soma wasn't really up for trying anymore curry, anyway, since he'd been eating nothing but the stuff for the past week or so. He still hadn't really gotten over Agni's betrayal, and I didn't know how to talk to him. I feel bad admitting it, but I had been kind of avoiding him for fear of feeling awkward. Make no mistake, though; I still think Prince Soma is awesome.

While Sebastian and Ciel went off to do their curry thing, Mey-Rin, Finny, Bardroy, and Tanaka (Isolde had stayed home to do some cleaning - I was glad about that) dispersed into the crowd to find something to do and admire the scenery. They were going on about how amazing it was to have real palm trees growing in the building during December, leaving me alone with Prince Soma. After a minute or so of awkward silence between the two of us, the foreign aristocrat gasped and made a beeline through the crowd without so much as a heads up on my part. Not wanting to be left alone in the middle of all the unfamiliar people, I managed to get out a weak, "W-wait, Soma!" and followed him like a baby duck. When I finally managed to catch up with Soma, he was standing by a pretty fountain next to an equally pretty Indian girl. She had beautiful black hair and gorgeous caramel-tinted skin, as well as absolutely breathtaking exotic clothes. I was immediately jealous. Was it just me, or were most of the women around me really sexy? It made me feel like a freaking wallflower, I tell you.

"How stupid can you be?" The woman was demanding, holding her arms out like she had just pushed Soma away. "Go back with you?"

"But, Meena," Soma began, looking like a lost little child. _So this woman is the Meena girl he's been searching for…_ "I came for you! We can go back to Bengal, back home - we can be happy again!"

"Don't make me laugh! Why would I ever want to go back there? I already went through so much trouble to escape!" She turned from Soma, face twisted in annoyance. "People born into royalty can lounge around, never doing a day of work in their lives. But because I was born into a lower caste, I was forever doomed to be a servant! I don't want to spend my whole life trapped by the caste system!"

"You went with him willingly?" Soma's golden eyes bugged out in shock. I assumed that meant that now would not be the appropriate time for me to butt in and tell Meena off. I just stood back and watched with helpless eyes.

"Yes, that's right!" Meena spread her arms out in emphasis, eyes blazing with exasperated fury. "A lowly servant, or a rich man's wife? Even a child knows which one is better. I spent my life taking care of you, you selfish brat! I'm done with it." The Indian woman lowered her arms then, her face softening just in the slightly. In a low tone so quiet that I almost couldn't hear, she added, "I promised not to tell you. But you are old enough now to know the truth. Goodbye, Prince Soma."

With that, she turned around and walked away.

Soma stared at Meena's retreating figure for a few seconds, then spun to face me. He walked a few steps towards me, then smiled sadly. "So you heard all of that, my little _devi_?" He asked.

I nodded nervously. "Um…yeah. So…your old caretaker - Meena - left India so she could be that West dude's wife?"

Soma nodded, eyes drifting towards a grotesque statue of some lady holding a severed head and stomping on a man's body. I realized with a start it was his all-powerful goddess, Kali. The one he believed me to be the mortal incarnation of. "The contest should be starting soon." Soma spoke in a resigned tone, linking my arm with his own. "We should go find a place to watch. After all, I cannot leave such a kind friend all alone, can I?" His handsome face beamed in a somewhat forced way at me, and I felt my own face flush slightly.

"U-um, yeah," I stammered, looking down as Soma led me through the crowd to the judging table. All the chefs had already lined up with their curry, and I could spy Ciel a ways off near the judges' table looking bored and grumpy as always. I felt Soma suddenly stiffen next to me, and I let my gaze trail to where he was looking at: Agni was staring straight at the two of us, a forlorn expression dancing across his face.

"I believe I will go get some air before this begins," Soma muttered to me, patting my arm in apology. "Forgive me, Aura. You understand, yes?"

"Soma, do whatever you need to do." I answered, wondering if giving the prince a quick hug would be deemed as inappropriate. I relented and opted for simply placing my hand on his shoulder in understanding. "I'll be fine." I watched as he disappeared into the crowd, and then proceeded to view the competition. They had just started getting through the introductions (and one of the judges was this blonde flamboyant guy who, I swear, eye-raped me via looking at me. Oh, Ciel also got this weird look on his face when he started talking, and I heard some ladies behind me say that the guy's name was the Viscount Druitt. He looked like he was either covering up his gayness, or was just REALLY a womanizer) when suddenly everything got quiet and then people started whispering. I turned around just as someone murmured in reverence "The Queen!" to see a petit figure wearing a black lacy dress and matching veil, being followed by a tall guy wearing a completely white suit. He also had white hair styled in a very interesting wavy way, as well as cool purple eyes.

"O-Oh, my word!" The emcee gasped dramatically. "Our Majesty and mother of England, Queen Victoria!"

_Holy shit, the Queen's here?_ I thought in surprise as I bowed along with the rest of the crowd. _I guess she really does have a thing for curry. _I sneaked a glance at Ciel and noticed his face had gone a bit steely with disbelief; I took another look at Sebastian up at the curry table and saw that he was looking on rather disdainfully. The Druitt guy stood up and started to sing what I was pretty sure the national anthem of England, and when it was done the guy all dressed in white bent down to the level of the Queen and nodded when she whispered into his ear. Facing the audience, he said, "Her Majesty bids me tell you: I am so sorry I have been unable to appear before you. However, I am now in such perfect health that I may even enjoy curry again. My late husband was exceedingly fond of curry as well. I look forward to the fruits of your labor." All the people in the room (minus Sebastian, Ciel, and Agni) started to cheer. I just kind of stood there awkwardly as my mind raced.

That voice sounded familiar.

Very familiar.

"But from where?" I asked myself quietly as the curry competition began. "Just where have I heard it? I've never met that guy! Ugh, this is so confusing…" I held my head in my hands and sat down in one of the seats scattered around the exhibition room, wondering just why I felt like I had heard the Queen's butler's voice. I spent most of the contest in that state, confused and getting hungrier by the minute.

Finally, when it was Sebastian and Agni's turn, I watched in wonder as the two butlers' hands moved elegantly across their cooking utensils, picking up ingredients and stirring them like professionals. It was really cool, actually. West looked smug as he watched Agni's "hand of Kali" cut up some vegetables and add it to the broth. Ciel looked on with a glare towards his opponent as Sebastian with the same inhuman speed as Agni. In fact, at one point Sebastian started to add CHOCOLATE, which made everyone freak out but Ciel looked impassive. So then Agni added this blue lobster, which looked really good, and the Viscount Druitt guy somehow popped on a blue lobster hat and had this whole spiel about the wonders of it.

…yeah. This is getting really weird. These British and their curry, sheesh.

Finally, it was taste testing time. It smelled so good. I was really hungry. But all I could do was drool and watch as Agni's curry (which was all fancy and like plated like it belonged in an expensive restaurant) was sampled first by the judges. They all looked as if they had seen a naked Megan Fox diving into a vegetable oil filled pool as they tasted Agni's curry. Harold West looked on in smug assholish-ness. Sebastian, on the other hand, took the top off of his platter to reveal…an omelet? Oh., wait, no - it was a bun, I think.

"What the fuck…?" I muttered in confusion. The rest of the judges shared my look of bewilderment.

The judges all looked at each other in befuddlement and then the Viscount Druitt poked his bun with his knife. Some brown curry oozed out, and he gasped. "Curry on the inside of it! How enigmatic!"

"The Funtum Company presents our special brand of curry," Sebastian grinned. "Behold… the Curry Bun!"

I'm not gonna lie: I wanted some. It had chocolate, for shit's sake! I HAVEN'T HAD CHOCOLATE IN AGES! Damn you, Sebastian, and your lack of concern for my earthly needs! Where the hell have you been hiding the goddamn chocolate?

The judges all began to eat their curry bun and like with Agni's dish, they each looked like they were in heaven. The Viscount Druitt made another "moving" speech about it, and then decided that it was time for everyone to sample the curry. I made a beeline for Sebastian's, of course, since I had a chocolate craving. But then suddenly, as I was passing one of the curry dishes that were pretty much plain and simple, an interesting scent infiltrated my nostrils. I picked up the dish and sniffed at it. To the left of me, I noticed that Meena was doing the same thing. I tried to act like I didn't know who she was and watched out of the corner of my eye as she took a bit of her curry. It made me wonder where Soma had run off to, and I saw him walk in with the Phantomhive servants just as I was thinking that.

"Well, down the hatch you go!" I said cheerfully to the curry, taking a big bite. The flavor was…not as fancy as I had hoped, but then suddenly a weird feeling caught in my throat and I thought I was choking for a moment. Then it disappeared, and all I felt was…floatiness. It was as if I was simply suspended in the middle of the air without a care in the world.

_**It's that demon's fault, you know.**_

…_what?_

This voice...I know it._  
><em>

_**He's caused all the pain you've felt so far. The conflicting emotions in your heart, the vulnerability to other demons…it's all because he brought you here simply for fodder. It is all because of Sebastian Michaelis.**_

_You're right. You're absolutely right. I hate him. I hate Sebastian with all my being. Love? Hah! I was just being a stupid little girl. Who needs love when you can hate?_

But why is it so familiar to me? Why...why do I keep hearing voices I feel like I know?_  
><em>

_**You need to warn everyone, Aura. Warn them about the demon in their midst before it's too late. He will try to steal the souls of all of London if you do not work hastily. He is unclean. Unnecessary. Unwanted. Cleanse him. Cleanse the soiled one. Only you can protect the demon's master, Ciel Phantomhive. Quickly, now! Warn everyone!**_

My mind set on one thing and one thing only, I calmly walked through the crowd - it had suddenly gotten more rowdier than usual, but I didn't really care; I had eyes for my target only - and grabbed the end of Sebastian's tailcoat when I reached him. I didn't care that he was currently blocking attacks from people - he deserved it. It was because he was a demon. A demon that deserved to be purified before he could infect the rest of the world. Just like Ciel…Ciel needed to be cleansed as well.

"Demon."

Sebastian looked down at me, eyes blazing a bright pink. "Aura?"

"You have made him unclean. Unnecessary. Unwanted." I pointed to Ciel very slowly, who was standing a few feet away. "You need to be punished, demon. You don't deserve to be here. You're going to contaminate all the souls here with your unholy presence."

"Aura, what the hell has gotten into you?" Sebastian demanded, looking - for once in his life, I'm sure - slightly uncomfortable. "Stop rambling like a madwoman and go help stop this madness."

"DEMON!" I roared, pointing to Sebastian. "BLASHPHEMER! IMPURE ONE! End him…end them all…end all of the cursed ones' lives, starting with Ciel Phantomhive! Haha…Ahahaha…AHAHAHAHAHA!" I threw my head back and laughed, reveling in the power that had suddenly overwhelmed me. It felt good. Really good. Sebastian was going to get taken care of, and then all my problems would finally be at an end. Grabbing Ciel before he could run away, since that's what it looked like he was doing, I looked the young earl into the eye and said softly, "It's such a shame that an innocent child like yourself has been corrupted by an evil demon…I will just have to take care of it myself, I suppose." With a gleeful smile, I reached for a heavy candleholder and brought it over my head. All I could think was how proud they would be once I took care of this abomination - _Wait, who were "they"? _- and that I would finally be worthy enough to have a place in God's kingdom. "Goodbye, Ciel Phantomhive."

I smiled pleasantly and watched as his eye widened and the candleholder became reflected within its beautiful depths. I was so close. So close to purifying him. So close to becoming worthy…

And then pain exploded in the back of my eyes, and everything went black.

…**that sucked ass and I know it. I'm sorry. I was just trying to get two episodes done in one chapter - I probably shouldn't have done that, though, because it's obvious that it's too much for me. I tried to make this chapter a bit more dramatic than usual, as you can see. And you guys can probably guess what happened to Aura at the last few paragraphs. Yay for the curry that makes people go insane! Anyway, please review this chapter. Because Hannah and I would feel very good if we got a lot of reviews, even if they are to say "This chapter wasn't that good." I know it wasn't up to snuff. I'm sorry. I've been a bit stressed about my grandpa and everything. But I shouldn't take it out on you guys in my writing…I'm sorry…next chapter will be better, I swear it! Or else you have permission to yell at me! I'M SORRY, OH ALL YE FAITHFUL READERS!**


	17. Author Note

**I'm not trying to get sympathy or depress you guys, but...My grandfather died yesterday. I will be taking a break from writing as I mourn his passing with my family. Please understand. I love each and every one of you who have supported me this far, and you have no idea how good your feedback makes me feel (when it's a compliment, that is). I'm not sure when I'll return to the lovely world of FFN, but I assure you that I WILL be back. Just be patient. Thank you for your understanding.**

**-Yuki  
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	18. That Girl, Frustrated

**I just want to say thank you to all those who have offered their condolences. I'm doing much better, as is the rest of my family. To show my appreciation, this chapter is going to hopefully long and amazing. We put shit loads of fluff in here just for you guys. I know I'm probably back sooner than most of you expected, but…writing really helped me cope with the loss of my grandpa, and I had a lot of good ideas that spurred me to write ASAP. Writing humorous things seemed to help the most, for some reason. I was literally expecting myself to write emo and angst-ridden poetry. O_O But nope! I got this typed up - with Hannah's help on a few things. Anyway, seriously: Thank you SO MUCH for all the support so far. It means more than any of you could ever imagine. Please enjoy, and I have a little thing to say at the end of the chapter, so please read that as well.**

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_It's warm. _

…

_I wonder where I am?_

…

_What the fuck happened to me? The last thing I remember was…oh God…I was going crazy! I was…I was going to kill Ciel or something…I…I…_

…

_What happened? I'm scared. I don't know what went wrong with me. One moment I was eating curry and enjoying life - well, as much as I could - and then the next…I was ranting about the impurities in the world like some deranged pastor. Like that voice in the mansion where we met Drocell Keinz and had to save Lizzie. Are these things related?_

…

_I was trying to get rid of Sebastian as well as Ciel too, wasn't I? Oh, Sebastian…_

…

_I wish I didn't feel the way I do about him. I love him, somehow. But I hate him so much. Why? Why does that demon bastard have to make everything so goddamn complicated? It's almost as if he LIVES to piss me off. Well, as a being from the fiery depths of Hell, he probably does._

…

_Someone, please. Wake me up now. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm so, so scared._

…

_I'm scared of myself._

…

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Aura, are you awake now?" Someone quietly asked, brushing a hand against my forehead. I grimaced and tried to ignore the total soreness of my entire body as I cracked one eyelid open. A large shadow stood in front of me, entirely black save for two bright red ovals around the top. It took a few seconds for my eyesight to adjust and I realized the shadow was actually Sebastian. The demon butler withdrew his hand away from me and brought a little saucer of some white substance up to my mouth. "Drink this," He commanded in a soft tone, helping to prop me up against the bed frame.

"What is it?" I croaked, shocked at how hoarse my voice sounded. It sounded like I had swallowed a bunch of nails in my sleep and gargled it all down with some liquid plumber stuff. You know, the stuff that looks like melted mercury and you pour down the tub drain? It's also fun to drown spiders in it. …So sue me, I hate spiders, and that was the only thing I could find in my bathroom when I saw one in the shower one day. Big whoop.

"Just drink it."

"You're trying to poison me, aren't you?" I managed to crack a small grin as I grasped the small saucer in my hands.

"It's milk, you idiot," Sebastian answered with a slight roll of his eyes. "Drink it. You'll feel better."

I kind of stared down at the milky substance for a bit, then looked back up at the demon butler looming over me. I couldn't read his current expression, save for the slightly annoyed crimson eyes. "Sebastian, I know you like cats and all, but I REALLY don't think giving someone a saucer full of milk is the best way to make them recover."

"Somehow it does not surprise me that you would twist my hospice on you into something like that," Sebastian sighed, shaking his head sadly. "Honestly, Aura, you are one piece of work." I flinched and shut my eyes when he suddenly moved his hand towards me - I was expecting Sebastian to hit me or something - but it was only to brush back a strand of loose hair. _What the hell?_ I opened my eyes and stared at him in utter confusion.

"Drink," Sebastian commanded again, this time in a lighter, more concerned tone. I was surprised that Sebastian could even manage to sound anxious or worried, but he did. So, trying not to dwell on the strangeness of the whole situation (I mean, for shit's sake! I was practically bedridden with no complete memory of the last moments of what had happened before I had passed out, and Sebastian was apparently taking care of me. Dramatic turn of events, anyone?), I did what he asked and took a few tentative sips of milk.

My eyes widened as the milk slid down my throat. "This is…really good."

"I would assume it to be. It's from the best farm in all of Great Britain." Sebastian returned to that familiar "holier than thou" personality, trying to act as if I was an idiot for not knowing that as the Phantomhive butler, he would settle for only the best.

I was silent for a minute as I sipped my milk in thought. Sebastian was right - it did make me feel better. My muscles weren't as tight and the back of my neck was throbbing with pain so much as it had before when I had first woken up. Finally, I asked the question I had been dreading to hear the answer to: "Sebastian, just what the hell happened to me?" Actually, what I REALLY wanted to know was why Sebastian was being so kind to me, but…frankly I would prefer not to know that answer in case it compelled him to stop taking care of me.

"Do you really want to know?" Sebastian answered my question with a question. Which would have probably pissed me off and made me yell at him if I wasn't feeling so lethargic and kind of sick. Oh, and not to mention being in pain at the moment. So I just nodded and waited for Sebastian to tell me what exactly went on with me.

"It turns out there was a curry entry that had a specific spice that made humans go mad, for lack of a better term," Sebastian began. "and it caused them to react upon what lies in the darkest corners of their hearts. You, I'm afraid to say, were no exception to this ailment."

"I remember eating some curry before I felt all weird," I said slowly as Sebastian's word sunk in.

Sebastian nodded. "Then my hypothesis is correct." He paused, then said, "You were attempting to 'purify' the young master by killing him, going on about how it would guarantee you a place in the 'kingdom of God.' Not to mention that you were also shouting various insults and using invective language against me." Oh, gee, thanks, Sebastian. Way to make me NOT feel guilty. I'm never eating curry again. "Since it would be detrimental to my status as a Phantomhive butler if I let someone as weak as you murder my master, I was forced to go to extremes and knock you out. I will not apologize for my hasty actions, Aura. Nor will I say I am sorry that I quite enjoyed it."

…You son of a fucking bitch.

_Well, that does explain why the back of my neck hurt so much…_

"If I wasn't so sleepy and out of it right now, I would be clawing your face off," I deadpanned, flipping Sebastian off. Although part of me was secretly glad that the demon had knocked me unconscious so I wouldn't have killed Ciel. Otherwise I would have been feeling PRETTY guilty right about now. Suddenly a thought hit me. "O-oh! Where's Soma? And Agni? And who won the curry contest?"

Sebastian smiled a bit of a devious smile. "The Funtom company won, of course. What kind of butler would I be if I could not triumph in something as simple as a curry-cooking competition? As for Prince Soma and his butler, Agni…" He gestured to the door with his hand vaguely. "They have patched things up and are still here. The two of them have decided to go and travel the world. Meena and Harold West have been arrested on order of Queen Victoria herself. All is well that ends well. Now," Sebastian stood up and I realized he had been sitting in a chair by my bed the entire time. Damn him for being so tall even when sitting! "I must attend to the young master's needs as well. Get some rest, Aura, because come morning Isolde and I will work you to the bone, regardless if you are fully recovered or not." He smiled that demonic smile I hated so much.

"W-wait!" I intoned heatedly, a bit put off that Sebastian would just up and leave me. I mean, I knew he had better stuff to do than just sit around and take care of a pathetic human like me, but still. I kind of wanted to have some company. Plus… "Just how long have I been out?" I asked, worried that the answer was going to be a week or something. Then that would mean I'd have missed both my birthday AND Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, I was going to need to get a gift for Ciel…

"A day, give or take," Sebastian answered with a bright smile. "Anxious that you missed a large period of chores, Aura?"

"Pffft! You wish!" I spat. I suddenly had the urge to tell Sebastian that after I had eaten the evil curry, the same voice I had heard at Drocell's mansion had started speaking in my head and telling me to do bad things. But, I figured that I looked like enough of an idiot in Sebastian's eyes, so I refrained and asked another burning question that was lying in the back of my mind. "Um…when are Agni and Soma leaving?"

"So many questions! You're worse than a toddler at a funeral," Sebastian said in an exasperated tone. I just glared at him. "To answer your inquiry, Prince Soma and Agni did not want to leave until they had a chance to say goodbye to you. I suppose I shall go let them know you're up."

"I was missed, then? Awesome!"

"Not just by the prince, I must tell you," Sebastian grinned in a way that made me slightly creeped out and pointed to the window.. I followed his finger to see a large white canine with glowing scarlet eyes licking the glass pane rapidly, its paws bracing against the window and rubbing its face all over it. "Pluto there has been quite distraught lately, since you haven't been out to play with him for quite some time. Perhaps I should let him in…?"

"Don't you dare, Sebastian!" I yelled angrily as he sauntered over to the window, placing one hand on the latch to open it. Pluto barked happily when he saw Sebastian, and licked the window again. It left a trail of drool. Wait, weren't we on the second floor? Then how could - oh, right, Pluto was a big ass dog. He could probably reach the second floor on his hind legs. "The last thing I need is that stupid hound raping me while bedridden!"

"Oh, I assure you Pluto's intentions are completely harmless, Aura," Sebastian said in an innocent tone, unlatching the lock ever-so-slightly. Freaking Pluto looked like he was going to piss himself from excitement. "Here, boy…why don't you give Miss Aura a big kiss to show her how much you love her?"

And then, like the bastard he was, Sebastian opened the window all the way and suddenly used his demon powers to poof away magically as the over-excited demon hound transformed into his naked human form and jumped onto my bed with a happy bark.

"DAMMIT, SEBASTIAN! YOU SON OF A BITCH - GAAAH, PLUTO! YOU DAMNED DOG, DON'T LICK ME THERE! RAPE! RAPE! RAAAAAAPE!"

**X~X~*~X~X**

And just when I thought I was getting over that little incident where Sebastian had set a naked demon hound on me, low and behold he does it again. While I'm practically confined to the bed because some douche bag decided to make a curry that forces the consumer into some deranged, psychopathic trance that makes them go on a murderous rampage. Fuck my life. Fuck the world. Fuck curry. Fuck Sebastian.

…NOT IN THE LITERAL SENSE, THOUGH. God, no! I would never….do the nasty…with Sebastian! He's too much of an asshole! Although I admit to him being a sexy asshole. But I would never sleep with him. NEVER. So don't think I'd - okay, you know what? I'm just going to get off of the topic of this because I'm obviously digging myself a deeper grave than I already have.

After my almost-rape by Pluto, I had been overjoyed when Soma and Agni had busted into my room at the speed of light with extremely worried expressions on their faces. It took awhile to explain that no, Pluto wasn't my lover and yes, I would like some assistance in keeping him off of me. Using his magical Right Hand Of Kali, or whatever the hell it was called, Agni threw Pluto out of the window (he had currently been trying to wriggle his nude body under the covers so he could cuddle me better and get at an easier angle to lick me some more) and there was a bit of an awkward silence between the two Indian gentlemen and I.

"So…I heard that you guys are going to take a road trip around the world?" I finally broke the silence.

"Yes," Soma answered with a nod. "I have much to thank Ciel and Sebastian for. Without their help, I would have never learned the morals I have during my stay in London. Agni and I feel it is best to travel the world, so that we may continue to grow and learn."

Awww, he sounded so mature now! It was cute! WHY MUST YOU BE SO LOVABLE, SOMA? WHY? "That sounds fun. I hope you guys find what you're looking for. So, you two are all cool now? Back to having the little bromance thing you had going on before?"

"I am afraid I don't quite understand the term 'bromance.' However," Agni smiled at Soma, who returned it with a perky grin. "my prince and I have come to an understanding. He is my god; I am his faithful and loyal servant. Nothing shall ever come between us again, I can assure you of that."

"Aura, I must thank you as well!" Soma threw his arms apart. "Without you, I could have never have seen what I needed to improve about myself! You truly are my _devi_ - my goddess!"

I felt my face heat up at the compliment and I stammered out, "Th-thank you…?" Stupid Indians and their blatant way of flirting even though they probably had no idea that they were hitting on you. But I do appreciate it. _Uh, how the hell did I help Soma mature, though? All I did was let him play with my cat and walk around with him at the curry convention - hey, speaking of Luna, where is she?_

Suddenly Soma's golden eyes welled up with tears and he tackled me down in a way eerily reminiscent of Pluto. Sobbing, the overemotional prince proclaimed, "I do not want to leave you just yet, my little _devi_! You have filled the space in my tormented heart that disappeared along with my dear Meena!" Hugging my neck tightly, Soma sniffed and grabbed one of my hands. "I will come back someday, Aura! Wait for me, my dear friend. Without you and Ciel Phantomhive, I would have been lost in a world of painful sorrow. Thank you for all that you've done."

"C-can't…breathe…" I managed to gasp out through Soma's hug of death as my cheeks flushed a bright red. Because fate so loved smiling upon my beautiful face, I was really betting that Sebastian was going to walk in at this precise moment and make some unneeded comment and politely call me a whore in that infuriatingly sexy way of his. Stupid demon butler.

"Ahem…my prince?" Agni interrupted, coughing into his wrapped hand inconspicuously. "I believe Miss Aura's breathing capabilities are being suppressed by your good-natured embrace."

"Oh! Forgive me!" Soma finally let me go, which let me to breathe again. Patting my cheek softly, the Indian prince smile and said, "I shall miss you greatly, Aura. Until the next time we meet, my little _devi_?"

"Yeah," I nodded, feeling just a tad bit uncomfortable. I mean, I had a hot exotic prince who pretty much liked to compliment me practically sitting in my lap while we were in a bed. I was thankful that Soma wasn't a pedophile/rapist, because I would have been a prime victim at this particular second. "I'll miss you too, Soma. It was fun hanging with you. I'm sorry about that whole Meena thing - I really do wish you the best in your travels."

"Shall we be leaving, my prince?" Agni asked as Soma crawled off of my bed. He smiled at me and said, "I will miss you as well, Aura. Thank you for being such a good friend to Prince Soma." I seriously didn't know why these two were making such a big deal about it, because I personally felt like I hadn't really done anything. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

"I am ready, Agni," Soma nodded, a passionate fire lit in his golden orbs. "Let us begin our journey across this beautifully tragic universe!" …dude could be a poet for emos when he grows up.

The two Indians waved goodbye to me and began to make their way towards the door. However, just as I watched the oddly purple hair of Soma's whipping in the breeze he made as he walked when he turned to go down the corner, I heard him cry out and I saw a flash of blue, gold, purple, and other colors. Before I knew it, he was - yet again - jumping onto my bed and hugging me tightly, proclaiming in an emotional tone, "Waaah! I do now want to leave you just yet, my friend! Why must goodbyes be so hard?"

…I think there's something about this bedroom that's cursed and causes its inhabitants to be tackle-hugged while they're bedridden by hot guys. Not that I'm complaining.

**X~X~*~X~X**

So, after probably the sixth "emotional" goodbye (this one being the last because Sebastian and Ciel had finally wandered upstairs to see what was taking so long, and that caused Agni to finally drag Soma out so they could leave) I decided it was time to get up and walk around. Despite having a rocky start, I managed to get out of the bed and make my way to the door. On the way, of course, I stumbled a couple of times, which I was sure amused Ciel and Sebastian quite a lot. Anyway, when I got downstairs, the first thing I did was run to the kitchen and steal some cake that I found in the icebox. The second thing I did was quickly eat it before someone yelled at me. And the third thing I did? Well…

"ISOLDE! HAVE YOU SEEN MY CAT?"

"No, I have not, Aura. Perhaps the mangy thing ran away because you weren't the best owner, hm?"

"Shut the fuck up, you soul whore! Go eat some little boy's soul and then make out with your dear Sebastian so you can share its benefits, or however the hell that works!"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…HAHA! I WIN THE GAME!"

"You truly are a child, Aura. I thank Lucifer every day that I did not make a contract with you; I don't think any amount of mental exhaustion is worth your soul, no matter how extraordinary it is."

Well, that kinda hurt. Kinda. But not really.

Anyway, afterward that little argument I had gotten into with Isolde (which I won hands down, no matter how you look at it) I took it upon myself to make my own birthday cake since apparently, time had decided to be a butt face and make it so I skipped my seventeenth birthday. I was going to worry about Luna's whereabouts at a later moment, because she was a cat and cats went wherever they pleased. Ignoring Bard's protests as I shoved him, Mey-Rin, Finny, and Tanaka out of the kitchen ("But Aura! This here is m'kitchen, not yours, you blimey madwoman! You 'ave no right t' - OI, PUT THE BLOODY MEAT CLEAVER DOWN! WE'RE GOIN'!") I locked the door and rolled up my sleeves, intent on baking myself the best freaking birthday cake ever.

It was going to have chocolate. Loads and loads of chocolate. And peanut butter, if I could find any. Probably some caramel or butterscotch, and maybe some whipped cream as well. God damn it, I was going to make sure I would be needing to be put in the hospital after this cake, because I wanted to pile it on with all the ingredients I could find!

"Right now would be a really good time for my iPod to come in handy," I muttered as I ransacked the cabinets for ingredients, almost failing to catch a box of oatmeal at the very last second. Whew, that could have been nasty. "but noooo. It had to lose its charge and die. As well as my phone. Because being in the nineteenth century, there's no such thing as chargers. Freakin' Victorian-era England…" I sighed and set down a bowl next to the butter and milk. "I guess I'll have to make my own music then."

I bit my lower lip in thought as I moved around the kitchen, snatching whatever I could find that I thought you made a cake with. _I should probably find a cookbook and look for a cake recipe before I actually make this_, I thought when I almost dropped an egg. Luckily my ninja reflex skills decided to show up and help me, though. _But…I'm good at winging it when I'm cooking. I'm sure I'll make it work. Now…what song to sing? Hm…oh! I know!_

I opened my mouth and, grinning broadly, began to sing: **(A/N: The song is "Show Me How You Burlesque" by Christina Aguilera, from the movie "Burlesque" - don't diss it, it's a kickass movie and so is the song. We don't own the lyrics, BTW.)**

"_Underneath the city lights, there is a world few know about!_

_Where rules don't apply, no…_

_And you caaaaan't keep a good girl doooown…"_

I began to subtly shake my hips to the beat inside my head as I began to open up various containers and pour guestimated measurements into the bowl. I was really hoping no one would unlock the door and walk in.

"_She comes to the club, lookin' for a good time_

_Gonna make that, shake that, money on the dime_

_She don't need a sugar daddy, she can work it just fine_

_Up on the table she'll be dancin' all night!"_

Now my head was subconsciously bopping to the beat, as well as my foot was tapping.

"_Yeah-ah, at night! Baby doll just comes to life_

_Under the spotlight! All the girls wanna fall in line_

_WE SAY! 'Hey-ey-ey-ey!'_

_Here come the ladies about to give a lil' show_

_HEY-EY-EY-EY! Here come the boys, we gotta show a lil' more, more, more more…"_

I was pretty sure I looked like an idiot as I danced around the kitchen putting together a cake, but you know what? It was fun. And I needed to have some fun for once. I deserved it.

"_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_Don't letcha rest_

_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_This is not a test_

_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_Gotta gimme yo' best_

_So get yo' ass up, show me how you burlesque!"_

God, I loved this song.

"_A lil' bit o' naughty is a lil' bit o'nice_

_She's a whole lotta glam, sweat, sugar, sex, spice_

_Just shimmy shimmy, strut strut, give a little what, what_

_Up on the table she'll be dancin' all night!"_

I accidentally spilled some sugar onto the counter as I was pouring it into the bowl because I was too busy shaking my arms up in the air to the tune of the song, but I figured I'd clean it up later.

"_Yeah-ah, at night! Everybody just comes to life_

_Under the spotlight! All the boys wanna fall behind_

_WE SAY! 'Hey-ey-ey-ey!' _

_Here come the ladies about to give a lil' show_

_HEY-EY-EY-EY! Here come the boys, we gotta show a lil' more_

_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_Don't letcha rest_

_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_This is not a test_

_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_Gotta gimme yo' best_

_So get yo' ass up, show me how you burlesque!"_

This part was a bit difficult to do, since it was made for more than one singer, but I figured I'd do my best. Plus, I was almost done getting the ingredients done. So that was a bonus. All I needed to do was mix in the liquids with the dry stuff, pour it into a pan, and pop it into the oven.

"_Okay, girls. Let's show 'em how it's done_

_It ain't over til we say…and we've only just begun_

_Lemme hear ya say 'Yeah-ah-ah-ah!'_

_I say 'Yeah-ah-ah, ah yeah-ah-ah!'_

_I said 'Yeah-ah-ah, ah yeah-ah-ah!'_

_I say 'Yeah-ah-ah, ah yeah-ah-ah, yeah-ah-ah-ah…' "_

Damn, that part was complicated.

"_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_Don't letcha rest_

_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_This is not a test_

_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_Gotta gimme yo' best_

_So get yo' ass up, show me how you burlesque!"_

I panted from lack of air, glad that the last verse was finally up.

"_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_Don't letcha rest_

_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_This is not a test_

_Hit it up! Get it up!_

_Gotta gimme yo' best_

_SO GET YO' ASS UP, SHOW ME HOW YOU BURLESQUE!"_

Proud of myself and the cake batter I had just created from scratch without any form of direction, I opened the oven door and was about to put the pan in when I heard a slow clapping, as if the person doing it was mostly just being sarcastic. Startled, I jumped in surprise and dropped the pan, watching in dismay as its contents splashed all across the floor and myself. I cursed angrily and tried to catch the falling pan, only somehow I managed to bump my hand against the knife I had left on the counter from cutting up pieces of chocolate from the chocolate bar I had found hidden behind the cheese.

"DAMMIT!" I screeched when the blade nicked the side of my hand, blood instantly swelling up in the deeper than I would have liked gash. I let the pan drop and further splatter unbaked cake guts everywhere and anywhere it planned to. Cradling my injured hand, I hissed through gritted teeth when the pain blossomed and sent signals to my nerves. Was it just me, or was I getting injured quite a lot lately?

"My, my, that was…" I looked up to see a somewhat stunned Sebastian staring at my mess, his gaze lingering on my hand (that was now dripping blood, thank you very much). "I'm afraid I'm at a loss for words."

"Shut the hell up," I muttered, grabbing a dishrag and wrapping it hastily around my bleeding hand. I stared down at the floor, which was now completely blanketed in beige chunky liquid, with some blocks of chocolate floating around. I could feel some of it dripping off of my cheek, but I didn't bother to wipe it away. I didn't really care.

_All my hard work…gone. Just like that. All because…all because of Sebastian._

"You fucking MORON!" I spun around and met Sebastian's red-eyed gaze with my own icy blue eyes, hoping they were blazing with fury. "Why the fuck do you think I had the door locked? So no one would walk in and freak me out, like you just did! But NOOOO, you have to be a fucking demon and be able to get through locked doors and scare the shit out of me in the process! And now my cake is - is - THIS!" I gestured wildly with my uninjured hand to the mess on the floor, counters, walls, and myself. "DAMMIT, SEBASTIAN! Why the fuck do you always have to ruin EVERYTHING for me?"

Instead of saying some snobbish comeback about how I utterly failed at being a Phantomhive servant, Sebastian merely picked up a nearby towel and bent down, beginning to mop up the poor unfortunate remains of my cake that was never to be. I stared in shock as Sebastian worked, wondering just why the hell he was helping me. Then I realized that cake batter wasn't just the only thing I was feeling run off of my chin.

It was tears.

"See what you've done, you demon bastard?" I demanded, pointing to my eyes angrily. "You've made me so pissed that I'm crying! You - you - you - GAH! I HATE YOU, SEBASTIAN!" I raised the hand that I hadn't accidentally sliced on the knife to slap Sebastian's face but paused at the last second, waiting for him to leap up and be all ninja-demon and grab it.

He didn't, though.

Sebastian simply raised his face towards mine and, with a gaze as calm as a pond in the middle of the woods, said, "We should probably treat that hand of yours before it gets infected, Miss Aura."

…wait, what?

"Come again…?"

"Aren't you one big mess?" Sebastian commented as he gently peeled away the clothe I had wrapped around my hand. Its light blue fabric was marred by a giant splotch of crimson. I winced as pain spiked through my entire hand when Sebastian splayed it flat to get a better look at the cut. Blood was continuously welling up inside it, only to slowly trickle off and onto the floor, further decorating the lovely little scene I had made. "Not only clumsy and less than intelligent, but blind as well. You certainly have some work to do, Aura."

I didn't answer, opting instead to just squeeze my eyes shut and grit my teeth. I let out a slight whimper when Sebastian's finger prodded into the cut, prying the broken skin apart. It hurt so much. Suddenly, a wet fleshy object ran itself along the length of the gash, and I jumped back with a startled yelp. "W-what the fuck?" I opened my eyes to see Sebastian's mouth poised over my hand, his tongue just inches away from the injury.

"I'm merely healing your wound," Sebastian answered, giving me a devious little smirk. "Didn't you know that a demon's saliva is one of the most powerful curatives due to the natural enzymes within our bodies? We are fast healers ourselves, as well. It's almost impossible to kill a demon. Also…" Sebastian was suddenly pressing me against the wall with one hand bracing my shoulder, the other holding the arm with my injured hand attached to it up against his mouth as his legs cornered me. My face heating up to about a million degrees, I was too disorientated and panicky to say anything. "Your blood is quite the intriguing substance, Miss Aura. I suppose it is due to the nature of your soul and its potent capability to strengthen a demon. Tasting a single drop of your blood itself is like being given a small power boost."

"G-get off!" I finally managed to squeak out, completely disgusted with myself at how weak and pathetic I sounded. I tried to rip away from Sebastian's grasp, but he was too strong for me and demonstrated that by merely pushing a little bit against my shoulder. I cried out in loathing when he lowered his mouth to my hand once more, slowly and deliberately running his tongue against my hand injury so that I squirmed. "A-ah…stop…" I whispered, blushing furiously. I hated to admit it, but it felt good. Sebastian's tongue was sort of like a cat's - rough at first, but easy to get used to as it lapped at my skin more.

When Sebastian finally pulled away, I was coated in a light sheen of humiliated perspiration and my breathing was really hard to get under control. My heart was beating at a million miles per minute, but the pain in my hand had subsided. Looking down at it, my eyes widened when I saw that all that was left of that big ass cut was a small white line. I looked up at Sebastian, who just smirked at me in that smug way he had perfected. A speck of blood clung to the corner of his lips, and I watched as he stuck his tongue out and licked it up in a very…provocative way. _Oh, God._ I ignored the clenching of my insides and managed to whisper, "I-I just wanted…to make myself a birthday cake since…I missed it and all."

God, I sounded like a fucking retard.

Sebastian let out a single chuckle deep in his throat and wiped my face with a clean towel. "You really are a mess, you know, Aura?" He said as he did so. I noticed his eyes were shinier than usual - was it because of my blood? The last thing I needed was Sebastian to go all vampire on me and try to get little midnight powershakes while I sleep. "It's getting late, and you've had quite the eventful last couple of days. I would suggest getting some rest, because come the morrow," Sebastian pulled away and ran a gloved hand oh-so-sexily through that messy hair of his. "your 'paid vacation' shall be expired, and I plan on working you to the bone."

"But what about - " I started to say, but Sebastian cut me off somewhat flippantly.

"I will clean this up. It should be a simple task - if not, what kind of butler would I be?"

"One hell of a butler," I muttered a bit dryly as I walked over to the door, careful not to step in the dead cake remains. My poor little birthday cake…I will miss you and I'll perform a memorial service in honor of your short life. Before I opened the door and walked out, however, I turned my head around and said in a soft tone, "…thanks, Sebastian. For…you know…making my hand better and offering to clean this up. I'm…sorry…for being such a handful all the time." Even though my face hadn't exactly recovered from the little cat bath Sebastian had given my hand, I was sure it was turning a bright red again. Damn hormones…

"You're merely human, Aura. Such creatures like yourself make mistakes every day - my Bocchan is to no exception." Sebastian paused, and then added, "And pay the service that I exalted upon your injury no heed; as my property, I would prefer it if you were to stay in perfect health at all times, so that when the moment comes when I require your soul, there should be no problems."

I thought that would make me pissed beyond belief, but I surprised myself by simply smiling and walking out to get a proper bath and get some sleep.

**X~X~*~X~X**

After I left Sebastian alone in the kitchen to deal with my cake failure, I walked up to the bathroom and managed to clean myself off. I hated to think what Isolde would say when she saw the dried up bits of cake batter and a few specks of blood on my clothes, but I pushed the thoughts away. Except then I remembered what Sebastian had said about my blood being beneficial to him, and I got a hysterical image of Isolde on her hands and knees begging me for just one lick of a small amount of blood as I held my dirtied and soiled maid dress above her head.

…Yeah. I'm slightly sadistic. So what?

Anyway, I bid the mansion a goodnight and completely conked out into my bed. There I had some odd dream where Sebastian had cat ears and a cat tail attached to his body, and he kept rubbing up against my boobs and calling me "Mistress." And then Ciel appeared in a wedding dress (which looked absolutely adorable on him, by the way - seriously, I think he should have been born a girl) and Grell was reading out marriage vows to him and Lizzie, who was wearing a wedding dress as well. Finally, Soma and Agni popped in riding a magic carpet and in belly dance outfits, and Agni acted like a snake charmer towards Soma, even going so far as to play a flute to make the prince…dance like a snake. To top THAT all off, Drocell the Creepy Puppet dude decided to make an appearance with Chucky the evil doll and chase me around with a fire poker.

Oh, and for the final act, that one disconcerting voice that had been telling me all that crazy shit about how I was "unnecessary" and "unwanted" felt like it had to show up as well. …in Ciel's body, no less. Which caused my adorable fake little brother (although I think I may start referring to him as my sister since he looks so good in feminine clothing) to try to practically baptize me since I was "impure" and all that good stuff. Yeah, not the best dream to have after the day I had been through.

Needless to say, I woke up confused and kind of freaked out.

I was even more confused and freaked out when I noticed a small figure curled up at my feet on the bed.

"Uh…h-hello?" I prodded the lump - which was about the size of a little kid - with my feet. "C-Ciel? Is that you?" I knew that was a stupid question, of course. Why would Ciel be in my bedroom, sleeping at the bottom of my bed like a dog? Or a…cat, for that matter. But the young earl was the only person I could think of in this house who was small enough to look like that.

I yelped when the figure suddenly hopped up and jumped off of the bed, backing away so that they were standing in front of the window. The moon was shining in brightly through the curtains, and an eerie bioluminescent glow in the shape of two eyes stared at me intelligently. The scariest part? They were a bright blue. My eyesight adjusted to the dark and I gaped in shock at the figure's features became more clear: she looked to be about eight or ten, with long silver hair that reached her hips. She was grinning slightly, and sharp-looking teeth poked out from her top lips. What got me going, though, were the snow white triangular objects that looked suspiciously like cat ears atop her head and the fluffy white tail protruding from her backside.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that she was also completely naked?

So, I did what any other girl who's had the month I've if they would find themselves in this situation: I threw a pillow at the strange girl, jumped off of the bed so I could run to the door, and screamed at the top of my lungs. "SEBASTIAN!"

**I really hope this chapter was up to everyone's expectations. It was pretty fun to make. I've had that little cake scene in my mind for quite some time now x) I'm such a perverted hopeless romantic…**

**Anyway, what I need to say is this: I am going to have a specific update schedule now. My Hetalia story, World Is Ours, will be updated one week; the next week, it's My Soul To Steal. Does that sound reasonable enough to you guys? Two weeks in-between updates? I know you'd all probably prefer me updating once a week like I have been, but I've realize I need to stop prioritizing writing fanfics as opposed to more important things, like homework and hanging out with family and friends.**

**Once again, thank you so much for the good wishes to me and my family. It meant so much to us all. We're doing much better now, and I feel guilty for dropping it all on you guys…sorry about that.**

**Oh, one last thing before I cut this chapter: do you think Hannah and I should throw in a few arcs of our own into this story, or stick completely to the original storyline? Because, in my personal opinion, I get a little bored when someone only places their OC into the actual plot of a fandom and doesn't put their own twist to things (but I do admit to some writer's doing a terrific job of that, and I praise them highly). It's entirely up to you readers, though. Thank you for reading! ****J**


	19. That Girl, Amused

**Aura: Hmph. I see you all enjoyed yet another chapter of me being practically tortured by that arrogant demon bastard, Sebastian. I don't know how you all find him so appealing! He's such an ass! You guys probably just like it when I'm being tormented…I hate you all. -_-+ **

**Ciel: YOU hate them? I hate Yuki and Hannah for not making me have an appearance or a lot of speaking parts for a couple of chapters. Honestly, they skipped over vital areas where I have important dialogue just because they were being lazy! …where are they right now, anyway? I've yet to yell at them. **

**Aura: Getting ready for Halloween. I wish I was cool and I was handing out candy to sugar-high munchkins, but NOOO. I'm stuck here with a bunch of prim and proper Brits! But they did give me a script to read off of. Ahem: "THANKS FOR ALMOST 300 REVIEWS GUYS! It's so exciting! Please try to get to 300 by this chapter, and we just might make a oneshot as a prize fic for the reviewer who gets us to our goal. It depends on how lazy we - I mean how BUSY we are. But do it anyway, 'cause we're, like, awesome and stuff. KTHXBAI!"**

**Ciel: …Yuki wrote it, didn't she?**

**Aura: Yeah…I'm guessing she did. *sigh* Please enjoy this next installment of ****My Soul To Steal****…**

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

Okay, I honestly don't know why the first thing that came to mind when I saw the creepy cat girl was to scream Sebastian's name. It wasn't like he'd help me after the weird/awkward/kind of sexy moment we had shared in the kitchen. Yes, I thought it had been sexy in a way Shut the hell up. I guess I was thinking that since I was Sebastian's "property" and whatnot, he wouldn't hesitate to save me just in case the newcomer decided I was a freaky cat girl version of prime rib. But then again…it was Sebastian. He was a demon. A jack assed, stuck up, extremely seductive demon who happened to be a butler to a little kid that I considered to be my adoptive little brother. Not to mention he mostly just wanted my soul.

Who knew what went on in that demon butler mind of his?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," The cat girl held up her hands in a universal "don't shoot" gesture. "Calm down, Aura. I'm not gonna rape you or anything."

_Wait, WHAT?_

"YOU TALK!" I accused, pointing a trembling finger at her. "AND YOU KNOW MY NAME! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? SOMEONE TELL ME RIGHT NOW!" _Why the hell aren't Mey-Rin and Isolde waking up to see what was going on? _I looked over to see the red-haired human maid dead asleep, and the bed of the demon maid completely empty. …No surprise there, actually. None at all.

"Aura!" Sebastian suddenly yanked open the door, looking oh-so-sexy in all his demon butler glory. "What on earth are you yelling about? Is there another demon come to take your soul - " He broke off when his crimson eyes found the little cat girl's figure. She had gone pale and backed away slightly, I noticed. Sebastian crossed his arms and glared at Miss Kitty. "Luna…haven't I told you that you were NOT to reveal yourself to Aura before the right time?"

…_did Sebastian just call Miss Kitty "Luna"? …oh my God. WHAT IS GOING ON?_

"I'm sorry, Dad!" The girl's cat ears drooped, and she looked down nervously. "But…I just felt bad about Aura not knowing a lot…so I wanted to show her who I was! Besides, you're not the boss of me! NYA!" She stuck her tongue out at Sebastian childishly and pulled the skin down under her eye.

…_did she just call Sebastian "Dad"? OKAY, SERIOUSLY, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW._

"Would someone please explain to me just what the fuck you two are talking about?" I exploded angrily. "I don't like being kept in the dark, here!"

"This isn't exactly how I wanted you to find out," Sebastian muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. He glared at the cat girl again, and she bounded over and grabbed my pants, hiding behind me. I just kind of stood there, unsure of what to do. Sebastian turned his gaze to me and said, "Aura, this is Luna. Yes, the same kitten that I allowed you to take from my room."

Allowed? Uh, not really. You were kind of a bitch about it, remember, Sebastian? You were all like "THIS IS MAH KITTEH. YOU NO TAKEY. LAWL." But whatever floats your boat, I guess.

"So…she's a demon cat?" I asked hesitantly, looking down at the little girl. She smiled brightly at me, revealing sharp teeth. Her eyes that were the same bright blue as mine shone with mischievousness. She was…pretty cute, actually. Like Ciel. And Lizzie. And…okay, yeah, she was freaking adorable. I resisted the urge to squeal and hug her.

"In a way, I suppose," Sebastian said mysteriously, tapping his chin in thought. _Well, what does THAT mean?_ I gave him a look that conveyed that thought. "Luna is only a half demon, thus her lack of red eyes."

"And just how does one…become only half demon?" I asked curiously. Luna started poking me in the leg, and I couldn't resist the cuteness any longer. I wrapped my arms around her lazily and hugged her. "So…adorable…" I muttered, stroking her silver hair. It was silky. Kind of like her cat fur.

"That is…difficult to explain. You may not believe me."

"Oh please, like I haven't heard enough weird shit in the past month to write something off as 'impossible'!" I rolled my eyes. "I mean, I'm freaking demon crack! When you're going to have your soul taken by a demon and you've been brought to Victorian-era England, there's not much that you find ridiculous and unbelievable. Plus, I've witnessed a bunch of killer dolls being controlled by a creepy puppet that walked and talked, my best friend here is a gay Grim Reaper, I ate magic curry that made me go insane, and I'm currently speaking to a demon butler at the moment. Yeah, Sebastian, I'm such a stickler for normality now. NOT." I smirked when he gave me an annoyed look.

"Then I suppose I will not beat around the bush." Sebastian pointed to Luna, who I was still petting like she was a cat. I noticed that she purred like an actual feline, too. That's just awesome. Hey, I've always wanted a demon cat ever since my first meeting with Pluto! And now I've gotten my wish! Maybe fate DOES smile down at me! "Luna is my daughter."

…_Repitan, por favor?_

"Say what?" I blinked at Sebastian in confusion, then looked down at Luna for confirmation. She nodded, a bit sourly, I noted. "Luna…is your kid? You're her daddy? Well…that's just - wait a moment!" I peered at Sebastian with wide eyes. "I thought you said that Luna was one of your cat's kittens - Nox's! So…if she's also your 'daughter,' then…" I swallowed and knew that if I said it, Sebastian would most likely kick my ass. But it had to be said.

"YOU FUCKED A CAT?"

Sebastian just quietly eyed me, his crimson orbs seeming to glow with anger and looking like he was trying really hard to restrain himself from, like, disemboweling me or some other gruesome form of murder. I heard Luna snicker from my side, and I couldn't help grinning a bit as well. I was completely serious, though; if Sebastian was supposed to be Luna's "father" and Nox was her "mother," then there had to be some definite bestiality going on there. Finally, Sebastian said (right when I was about to bust out laughing, too), "Honestly, Aura; must you have such a lewd mind?"

"But you fucked a cat!" I protested, doubling over with concealed laughter. "I knew it! I just knew that you had an unhealthy obsession with kitties! And this proves it! WAIT TIL I TELL CIEL, YOU CAT VIOLATOR!" I was now on the floor, holding my gut as I let my laughter loose. Tears wear streaming from my eyes and I didn't bother to wipe them away. This was absolute GOLD!

"I assure you that I did not have…sexual relations…with a cat." Sebastian coughed into his hand in a somewhat embarrassed way. "Luna is indeed the kitten of Nox, but she can also be considered my daughter. Now, I would appreciate it if you would not be so hasty to jump to conclusions before I have explained myself - "

"What is there to explain?" I giggled, sitting up and pulling Luna into my lap. She was really warm, and her tail was so fluffy. "You did the nasty with a cat and out popped little Luna here. End of story!"

"Actually, Aura, that's not exactly what happened," Luna piped up. "Dad, lemme explain it to her before she really pisses you off, okay?" Luna turned around to face me, her cute face bright with slight evilness. _I can already tell we're going to get along just great. _I thought with a smirk. "Okay, so, basically I was born a regular kitten, but I was born without a heartbeat. Sebastian here witnessed it, and he felt bad for me, so POOF! He…uh…put some of his essence into my pretty much dead body, and voila! You have one badass half demon cat who can shape shift into a humanoid form!"

"Is that true?" I asked Sebastian in an amused tone. Luna was like a mini-me! A cute, half demon cat mini-me.

"More or less," Sebastian nodded.

"He also asked me to watch over you," Luna snickered. "because you're such a clumsy human, and Lucifer knows what kind of trouble you can get into. Daddy LIIIIKES you, Aura~!" She sang, smirking when my face lit up a bright pink and Sebastian slapped a hand to his forehead and groaned in exasperated annoyance. _Why that little - okay, maybe we WON'T get along. _I opened my mouth to yell at Luna, but she cut me off with, "Oh, and the reason we have similar eyes and personalities is because Daddy Dearest fashioned me after you, because I was born after he brought you here. So I'm kind of like your sister!"

Never mind, I like her again now. "THIS IS AWESOMELY EPIC, YO!" I shrieked happily in a gangsta voice, hugging Luna once more. I felt kind of special - Sebastian had modeled his "daughter" after me. But…technically that would mean I was Luna's mother…I'm not going to dwell on that and have it ruin my happy mood. "Sebastian, do you know how long I've always wanted a little sister? I don't have to refer to Ciel as my little sister anymore, because now I have an actual girl that I can call that!" Grinning, I added, "Wow, for once I actually don't hate you so much! I mean, you made my hand all better earlier when I cut it on a knife - albeit you did it in a very weird way - you cleaned my murdered cake mess up, and you practically gave me a baby sister. Thanks, Sebastian! You actually did something right for once!"

"You…are most welcome?" Sebastian replied uncertainly. He made a move to walk out of the room since nothing was wrong with me.

"Hey, I wasn't done talking to you," I pouted. "Besides, now you've gotten me so excited that I can't fall asleep. Hey, Luna, we should totally find ways to annoy the hell out of your 'father' and bond over it!"

Luna grinned and nodded. "Hell yeah!" _Yep, she is definitely a mini-me. _The two of us high-fived and smiled innocently at Sebastian when he just rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh, Dad, you know you still love me," Luna laughed at Sebastian's non-amused expression.

"And when have I ever given you that impression, Luna?"

"When you breathed life into my lifeless soul! DUUUH!"

"You have a soul even though you're half demon?" I asked in legitimate confusion.

"SHUT UP, MOM!"

**X~X~*~X~X**

Yeah…after Luna had called me "Mom" I had gotten all awkward and everything else in between because it made me have an odd mental image of me and Sebastian actually…being married…and stuff. So, I had shoved the demon butler out of the bedroom (Mey-Rin still hadn't waken up, surprisingly), and told Luna it was time for bed. And then I had fallen asleep.

Epic night, don't you think? I had found out that the demon butler wanting to steal my soul practically transformed a dead kitten into a half demon cat girl, who could be like my twin. My younger twin. Who was awesome because she had a mindset like me.

Anyway, the next morning, I got dressed and ready without complaint to start yet another day of doing nothing but being a wallflower and teasing the hell out of Ciel. I was in a pretty good, actually, and I was looking forward to the day. Mainly because I now had a little mini-me who I could recruit to help me torment Sebastian mentally. There's nothing like love between a "father" and "daughter" isn't there?

The day started out pretty well, I guess it's fair to say. Got up, got dressed, ate breakfast, and then proceeded to run around the courtyard riding on Pluto in his demon hound form just for fun. What, me and him are tight now, even though I'm still a bit annoyed about the times where he hugs me completely naked. After that, I went back inside and started to bug Ciel. With the help of Luna. And it was fun. DON'T JUDGE ME, I GET BORED EASILY. But that's where I was right now: in Ciel's office with Luna basically bugging the crap out of the poor guy. I honestly don't know how he manages to keep up with me. He's so cute when he's angry.

"Ciel. Ciel. Ciel. Ciel. Ciel." Each time I said his name, I poked the young earl in the cheek. I was sitting on his desk so that I could face him (even though he had thrown a fit demanding for me to get off of it). Luna was in her cat form on the floor watching with amused eyes, because Sebastian didn't want his master to know just yet that he was pretty much a father. Normally, I would have told Ciel the happy news, but since I was kind of pleased with Sebastian I was going to be nice and keep my mouth shut.

"AURA," Ciel said in a dangerously calm yet rage-filled voice. "STOP. TOUCHING. ME."

"But I'm doing it to show my sisterly love for you!" I protested, poking him in the cheek again. I don't want to sound like a child pedophile, but his skin was really soft. And squishy. It was kind of fun to poke, actually.

"Well, I don't like it! Shall I call Sebastian in here to settle the matter?" Ciel smirked when I paled and then flushed a light pink. "Aha! My butler really has become a weakness of yours, hasn't he?" Ciel questioned knowingly.

"Sh-shut up," I muttered, looking down to avoid his amused expression. It wasn't my fault I found Sebastian extremely sexually attractive despite his totally assholish attitude. It wasn't my fault that my soul was alleged demon crack meant for him and only him. And it sure as hell wasn't my fault that my hormones were deciding to fuck around with my emotions and make me think I was "in love" with Sebastian.

I didn't do anything for a few seconds, and then I poked him in the arm. "Why don't you have anything ready for Christmas? It's going to be here in less than a week!"

"I don't like celebrating the holidays," Ciel muttered darkly. "You should know that by now."

"But Ciel! It'll be fun! Don't you want a present?"

"No. You're just as bad as Lizzie," He sighed and pushed me off of his desk so that he could continue with his paperwork. "Aura, I know you don't have anything better to do than annoy me or be a nuisance and a hindrance," Ouch! That went right to my heart, Ciel. Right to my heart. "but you have got to understand that being the Earl of the Phantomhive estate, I have important things to accomplish. Why don't you go play with Pluto or clean with Isolde? Make yourself useful for once."

"Because those things are boring and I need something exciting to do!" I exclaimed, a bit pissed at what the brat had said. I had forgotten just how cruel and inconsiderate Ciel could be. Then again, I knew that it was partly because of his past, so I tried my bets to forgive him. Suddenly, I knew what I wanted to do. Sliding over to him, I poked Ciel in the cheek - again - and said in a smooth tone, "I'll stop bugging you if you let me go Christmas shopping."

"Is that supposed to be some sort of treaty?" Ciel questioned with a raise of his eyebrow.

"You know I'll annoy the hell out of you until you let me go Christmas shopping," I warned.

Ciel sighed and placed a hand against his head. "I…suppose it would be best if I allowed you to go."

"YES! Thanks, Ciel! I'll get the best present ever!" I threw my arms around him happily.

He mumbled something I couldn't hear, but what sounded suspiciously like "My mother and father alive, you mean?" I pretended like I hadn't heard (I mean, how awkward would THAT make the moment?) and forced myself to grin. "So, uh, can I have some money to buy you something?"

"…you're unbelievable." Ciel shoved me off of him and rummaged through his desk drawer.

"Hey, you're the one who has yet to pay me for my maid services, so count this as my paycheck for the month," I pointed out.

"Aura…you haven't exactly done anything to make me WANT to give you a paycheck," Ciel shot back wearily as he handed me a stack of British cash. At that moment, he looked so mature and forlorn that I felt really bad for him. I wanted to give Ciel another hug but I figured that would make him more annoyed, so I just saluted him.

"Thanks, boss," I said as I walked out with the cash. I motioned for Luna to follow me - I figured since she had some of Sebastian's…uh…essence…in her, she'd be able to count the British money for me. "You can count on me, Ciel! I'll get all of you the best damn Christmas gifts you guys have ever seen, and then I'll pretty much be on your guys' good sides!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," I heard Ciel mutter before I walked completely out of earshot.

**X~X~*~X~X**

Instead of asking Sebastian to take us into town, Luna and I reserved to be big girls and walk. It wasn't that far, actually, and it was pretty fun if we bundled up for the cold. Well, actually, I was the one who got all dressed for the weather - Luna rode in my coat again in her cat form. On the way into the shopping district, I taught my demon cat (excuse me - HALF demon cat) little sister how to sing "I'm On A Boat" by the Lonely Island and "I'm Awesome" by Spose. It was pretty damn epic to hear a kitten who turned into an adorable ten year old girl singing those types of songs.

Anyway, when we got to the city, I had let Luna lead me to wherever she thought was the best place to go. Instead of stopping at the candy shop we passed, the toy shop, or even the bookstore, she went right by them. I was starting to get a little confused when she lead me into the…er…less than friendly section of town.

I kept my head down and avoided the odd stares I was getting from people. They looked like the nineteenth century versions of druggies and alcoholics. "Uh, Luna?" I asked in a low tone through gritted teeth. "What are we doing in THIS part of London? I'm here to get everyone a present, not a specific time and place for a gang rape!"

"Relax, Mom," I wanted to tell her to stop calling me that, but…Luna was just so adorable that I couldn't. "I know the perfect place to go!"

"Probably a store with the name 'Rapers-R-Us' or something like that," I muttered.

"I promise it's not anything like that," Luna laughed as she trotted along daintily. We walked in silence for another minute or two and then she stopped at a run-down old building. "Ah, here's the place!" She announced. I looked at it and gaped in shock.

"…An undertaker's place? Seriously, Luna?" I glared down at the mini-me cat. "This is where you take me to buy Christmas presents? You suck, you know that? What the hell am I supposed to get Ciel and all them presents from here, their own personalized coffin?"

"Of course not!" Luna admonished in a hurt tone. "I just happen to know the guy who works here, is all. He'll know what to get Dad and his master, because he's kind of like their information broker." She turned her nose up at me and walked in like the proud half demon cat she was.

_Wait…I remember Ciel saying something about knowing an undertaker…so this may be who he was talking about._ I steeled myself and, not wanting to be under the unsettling gazes of the creepy people walking by, walked into the building. It was kind of dark and musty smelling, and there were coffins EVERYWHERE. No, literally, they were strewn all over the place. There was a bunch of skulls and old books and candles and all SORTS of creepy things, too,

"Wow, this place could almost be its own Halloween Town," I commented dryly as I looked around. No one was in sight, not even Luna. Getting a bad feeling, I called out, "Luna? Where'd you go? Come on, this isn't very funny, you know. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't -"

"Ah~! It seems I have a customer, yes? To what can I owe the pleasure of this visit, miss?"

I yelped and spun around, backing a few steps while doing so and falling against one of the coffins. I lost my balance and tripped face forward onto the floor. When I looked up from the dusty floor, it was to see a pair of black pointy shoes with a long black cape thing covering them. When I looked up even further, it was to see a tall man - well, I thought it was a dude, anyway - wearing a black overcoat thing with long silver hair under this weird black top hat covering most of his face. What wasn't covered by his hair was riddled in big scars. His mouth turned upwards in a grin, and he started to chuckle maniacally. "Ahahaha~! That was very entertaining, miss! You looked as if you had seen a ghost!" He held his hand out to help me up, still laughing uncontrollably.

"S-shut up," I stammered in humiliation. I took his hand anyway and dusted myself off. Suddenly, some feminine little girl sounding laughter joined in, and I looked behind the man to see Luna sitting on a coffin giggling as well.

"That was awesome!" Luna tittered, shaking with mirth. "Aura, you should have seen your face! You looked so scared! Oh, by the way, this is the Undertaker, and he knows what I am, so don't freak out because I'm talking in front of him in my cat form," She added when I opened my mouth to yell at her.

The Undertaker chuckled again, a high pitched sound full of amused glee. "I do enjoy a good joke every now and again," He sang. "So tell me…what brings a lovely girl like you all the way to my humble shop? Be it a personal matter? A family member dead and you need me to make them beautiful again in death, as well as picking out a coffin? Or…" He raised his hand up to lick his fingers, and I noticed his fingernails were unnaturally long and blackish. Creepy. "Do you need some information?"

"Mom here needs to know where the best place to buy Christmas presents for Ciel Phantomhive would be," Luna piped up, hopping off of the coffin and intertwining in between my legs. "I figured I should take her to you, since you're pretty intuitive to this stuff."

"I'm not actually Luna's mother," I protested when the Undertaker grinned at me. "I'm Aura Monray, a maid who works at the Phantomhive manor due to some…unforeseen circumstances."

"Ah, the young Earl of Phantomhive, Ciel," The Undertaker said fondly, picking up a random skull and stroking it. "He's one of my best customers, you know. That black-clad butler of his always has a good joke for me. Why, just remembering the latest one he told me, I…" The silver-haired man trailed off and began to laugh manically again, holding his sides and leaning against a coffin for support.

_This dude is on fucking crack._ I gave Luna a "WTF" look and made my way for the door. "Sorry to bother you, sir; I can see you're busy. I'll just go and - "

"Leave? Oh no, no, no!" The Undertaker grabbed my hand and pulled me into a chair. "Not until we do business! I can't have a customer walk into my shop without a transaction happening!"

"But I really don't think I need you're help, I can probably find some presents on my own," I protested weakly.

"Aura, stop being such a baby and accept some help!" Luna snapped in annoyance, leaping up onto my lap and poking me in the thigh with her paw. Turning to the Undertaker, she asked, "So, Undertaker, what kind of payment do you want? Actually, I guess I should ask this: from WHO do you want it? Me or Aura?"

"Uh, Luna, I'm the one with the moolah on hand, remember?" I held up the stack of marks and waved it in her furry face.

"I think I can make an exception just this once," The Undertaker replied cheerfully, pulling out a piece of paper from his cloak thingy. "considering that you're my favorite visitor, Luna. But come the next time you need my assistance, you'll owe me double."

"But then that won't be like paying you at all!" I protested.

"Aura, just shut up and go with it," Luna warned in a whisper. I sighed and took the scrap of paper from the odd man's hands and looked down at it. Printed in messy scrawl was some address with the words "The Paranormalcy Society" underlined at the top. Confused, I opened my mouth to ask the Undertaker just what it was about, but Luna cut me off. "Thank you so much for your advice, Undertaker! Mom and I will be going now. I'll stop by again soon, okay?"

"Anytime, Luna~!" The Undertaker sang, clapping his hands in delight.

She leapt off of my lap and trotted towards the door. Slowly getting up to follow her, I waved goodbye hesitantly to the Undertaker and made my way to the door. When I looked behind me to say farewell, Mr. Nutcase was gone. Stiffening, I yanked open the door and stepped outside. "Luna, I don't even want to know how you two are acquainted. That guy was just…creepy." I had no other words to describe him.

"Hey, he's just different, that's all!" Luna pouted. "I like Undertaker! He makes me laugh. You should hear some of his stories about what he finds on dead bodies when people bring them into his shop so he can work on them. One time, he got this old fat lady, and he found a clothespin attached to her b - "

"Okay, I didn't need to know that!" I plugged my ears and hummed to ignore her. When Luna glared up at me with those eyes that were exactly my own, I saw myself reflected in them and got kind of weirded out. Swallowing my discomfort, I covered it up with a false cheeky grin and looked at the paper again. "This says '23rd Avenue, 1899, The Paranormalcy Society.' Any idea what that means, or where it is?"

Luna's kitty face suddenly turned a bit spooked. "W-what did you say?" I repeated the directions and noticed a shiver run down her snow-white spine. "I didn't think he would send us THERE," She muttered.

"Luna, what is it?" I asked, getting a bad feeling. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing at all!" She protested. "Come on, let's get going, Mom!"

I frowned at the title but didn't press on. If Luna wanted to keep herself some secrets, then who was I to stop her? It wasn't like I actually WAS her mother. Sebastian, being her "father," would have that honor of getting things out of her. Upon thinking that, I suddenly got a very hot image of Sebastian wearing nothing but a cowboy hat and a pair of boxers, holding me over a desk with a whip in his hand. He was saying, in that sexy British accent of his, "Daddy's going to punish you for being such a naughty girl, Aura…"

"OH, GOD!" I paled and shook my head to rid itself of anymore disgusting thoughts. "That was just….no! That was so wrong, Aura! Never think that kind of stuff again! Never!"

Luna started to giggle. "Haha, you had a wet dream about Dad, didn't you? You might as well stop pretending you don't have any feelings for him and admit that - "

She broke off and suddenly a hand covered my mouth and a blindfold was tied around my eyes, making my surroundings go dark with the black fabric. With some muffled protests of "What the fuck is going on? Let me go, you bastards!" and a whole string of curse words, my arms were suddenly yanked backwards and tied behind me. I gave a weird grunt-gasp of shock when someone slapped my cheek and a masculine voice whispered in my ear, "Well, well, well…looks like we have quite the catch tonight, eh boys?" A hand danced around my neck and slid down my body until it rested on my chest. I tried biting the hand that was covering my mouth but whosever it was, they were wearing a leather glove that tasted real nasty.

"I'd watch myself if I were you, sweetheart." The voice was deep and seductive, and his breath smelled like tobacco and cheap booze. His hand slid down and cupped my ass, giving it a rough squeeze. I gasped and tried to wrench myself away, but whoever was holding me was too strong.

Terror immediately engulfed my senses. What was going on? I knew I should not have followed Luna into the seedy part of London! I knew I was right about gang rape! Only…I didn't think that I would be the one to be the victim.

"Toss her into the carriage," The voice commanded, and I was lifted upwards and suddenly tossed into the air, where landed not-so-lightly onto a stiff cushion. I grunted when my body made impact with the seat, and attempted to sit up, only to have my legs grabbed and a rope tied around them as well. I tried to scream for help, but they stuffed a gag into my mouth as soon as I opened it to scream.

_Dammit!_ I thought angrily when I noticed an odd strong smell coming from the gag. _They fucking put chloroform on this, those fucking bastards! Oh, as if I wasn't a cliché enough already, now I gotta add "assaulted and raped" to my list? This is just fucking fantastic. All I wanted to do was get into the spirit of Christmas, not this! And where the hell is Luna? They'd better not hurt her, or else I'm going all ninja on them when I get out of these -_

And before I could finish my thought, the world fell away as I slipped into a silent bliss.

**Sebastian: Oh dear. Whatever has happened to Miss Aura? I suppose you all will have to wait until the next chapter. Please, do be polite and review this story, as it gives me incentive to… "tease" …my property some more. I hope you enjoyed this particular chapter, and I'm afraid I must bid you all farewell for the moment. Happy All Hollow's Eve, esteemed readers. I pray it shall be an eventful one for you all…**


	20. That Girl, Prisoner

**First off: Thanks for over 300 reviews. It's an honor for our review count to be so high and we haven't even gotten to the plot yet. Secondly: Luna. Yes, we know the whole "cute cat girl" thing is a bit cliché, but you know what? Hannah and I are biased towards it. ****Tokyo Mew Mew**** was my first manga (which involves a magical girl type thing, and the main character has cat attributes) and Hannah's first true anime love was ****Shugo Chara!****, where Ikuto is all hot feline dude and stuff. So yeah, shut the fuck up and deal with Luna being in this. If you can't handle it, then leave; we're not forcing you to read this . It's not like she's going to be in the story all the time. But for this arc she'll have a large part . Most of you didn't seem to mind Luna's true identity, but for those of you who did (and you know who you are), don't let that ruin your day. It's not like the fic is going to center around her, Aura's still the main characters. Please forgive my rant, I just had to get it out there. Now, for the real chapter. Which is pretty long, by the way. And the reason this chapter's a bit earlier than planned is because we had a bit spurt of inspiration. So yeah. Jesus, this was a long author note…**

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

My head hurt. Like, a lot. So did the back of my neck. It felt like I had been hit by a train, thrown into a pit of bricks, and then been buried alive with gravel. So yeah, I was pretty achy. And cranky. No, more than cranky - ABSOLUTELY FUCKING PISSED. Whoever the hell had decided to kidnap me was going to get an earful (and a swift kick to the balls, if I could help it) and have to put up with my constant berating and/or whining. I was going to amp up my bitchiness to the highest level, and whoever was the jackass who thought it was a smart idea to assault me was going to think twice the next time he sees a potential victim to abduct.

When I opened my eyes, it was to complete darkness. Well, save for a flickering torch to my right, which I assumed was on the wall. It smelled really bad wherever I was. Like moldy cheese and rotting fish. To top it all off, when I tried to move, I realized I was…chained to the wall. Like, legit chains that clinked annoyingly when I tried to move. My creep-o-meter was going off the charts as my brain tried to process what was going on.

_All right. So, I got kidnapped by some fucktards after going to the Undertaker for Christmas present ideas…and now I'm apparently a prisoner in some creepy Medieval-type dungeon, complete with being chained to the wall. And I'm most likely going to be raped by a fat old guy who thinks he's the king of England. And then I will have his ugly babies and forever be a sex slave to a bunch of rapists._

…_Sebastian had better get his demon butler ass here RIGHT NOW because I most certainly do NOT want that to happen to me. I have enough to worry about as it is!_

"Well so much for my avoidance to being a Mary Sue," I muttered, hoping my eyes would adjust to the darkness soon. I kind of wanted to see where the hell I was. …on second thought, if it was like those disgusting dungeons on all those Medieval-type movies where there's brackish water everywhere and rats eating the rotting corpses of earlier prisoners, then never mind. "Guess being kidnapped is just the latest trend."

I was silent as I pondered just what I could have possibly done in either a past life or this one to make karma be such a bitch to me.

I couldn't think of anything.

Now, I know I probably should have been freaking out just a little bit more about my current situation, but here's the thing: after being taken back in time by a demon butler and being told that my soul was the resident demon crack in the area, so-to-speak, witnessing a fight between a gay Grim Reaper and killer dolls, almost getting my virginity taken by a pedophilic guy with a whorish demon maid, finding out I had a half demon cat as a sister (in a way)…I really wasn't too surprised by anything anymore. Not to mention I was pretty much in love (sadly) with said demon butler who caused all of this shit to happen to me.

I was mostly pissed, really. Not worried or apprehensive. I just hoped that Luna had managed to run away from the dicks who decided it would be fun to take me hostage and she was safe at the Phantomhive manor. Maybe if I was lucky and life decided to love me for once, Luna was on her way with a rescue party right now!

…oh, wait, they probably would have no idea where I was.

…Fuck.

"I'm doomed," I hung my head in shame and tried to move a little bit to find a more comfortable position, but the chains held fast in tight. Growling in annoyance, I laid my head back against the cold stone wall and wondered if anyone was going to come and check on me or something. I could only go so long without any other presence in a dark, dank, smelly dungeon without eventually snapping and going insane. Well, more insane than I already most likely was.

Just as I was contemplating whether or not to sing "Mamma Mia!" to rid myself of boredom, the distant sound of footsteps reached my ears. I held my breath as it got closer and closer, finally approaching the room - well, I assumed I was being kept in a room - I was chained in. I heard a jangling sound, like someone opening a lock with a pair of keys, and light suddenly flooded into my area. Someone had opened the door to my cell, it looked like, and they were walking towards me with a very bright oil lamp. I couldn't really tell who it was because of the way the light was casting shadows everywhere.

I took that opportunity to gaze upon my surroundings, since there was finally enough light. I wasn't exactly shocked or surprised - it was a small jail cell-type place, with rusty chains on each wall. Gross-looking puddles lay everywhere on the floor, as well as garbage and snagged pieces of clothing. I tried not to look at the furry black mass that scuttled into a small whole in the wall as soon as the light hit it.

"It seems she's up." That voice sounded like the guy who had been talking when I had been abducted. He moved the lamp away from his face and my eyes were met with a pair of stormy gray ones. The dude…was kinda hot. He looked like he was in his mid-twenties, with long brown hair in a messy ponytail. He wore your standard middle class outfit, I supposed. Smirking at me pervertedly, Mr. Kidnapper said, "It's so good to see you've awoken, Aura Monray."

"Oh great, you know my name," I groaned. "As if I didn't have enough problems, now I have to add stalker to that list. Jesus fucking Christ, I'm never gonna get a break, am I?"

"You're just as she said you would be," He murmured, stretching a hand out and stroking my cheek once. I instantly froze up and glared at him. An arrogant expression plastered in his cute face, the guy bowed and proclaimed, "You may call me Cain. I'm your…babysitter."

"I'm old enough to survive without a babysitter," I spat out. "but thanks for the offer. Now if you'd excuse me, I'm going to proceed to cursing the world for giving me the short stick in life. So fuck off. Or else I'll slit your throat with a rubber chicken and pour barbeque sauce down it. Don't ask how, I WILL find a way to do it," I warned when the guy - Cain - started to chuckle.

"Impeccably rude language, very violent tendencies, odd threats that make no sense…" Cain shook his head knowingly. "Exactly how she described you. Every little detail is on the dot, right down to those cold, cold eyes that hide the frightened little girl that lives inside of you…" He trailed off, licking his lips as if he thought I was a piece of better than sex cake. That stuff is the god of cake, by the way.

_Who the hell is this "she" person he's talking about?_ I wondered mentally before snapping, "What the hell do you know about me? Nothing, that's what! So shut the fuck up and go suck your own dick!" I was beyond pissed now. How are this guy just waltz in and say I'm just a little girl scared of her own shadow? Okay, maybe he didn't say that exactly, but it's better to paraphrase something in your own words, right?

"I know enough about you, Aura, to know that you're unclean." Oh God. Here it is again. That same spiel I'd heard enough to last me ten lifetimes. "Unnecessary. Unwanted. You need to be cleansed." Cain walked over to the torch on the wall and did something I couldn't see with it, and suddenly the other two torches that were on the wall lit up.

Closing my eyes slightly to shield them from the sudden burst of lit, I sarcastically said, "Of course I need to be 'cleansed.' Have you seen the filth I'm in right now?" I gestured pathetically to the disgusting room around me as best as I could with my hands, but since they were kinda-sorta chained to a wall it didn't work out as well as I wanted it to.

"So, so ignorant," Cain clucked, shaking his head in mock sadness. "Would you like to know where you are? I will tell you, you know. It's a shame to…keep you in the dark." He suddenly turned the lamp he was holding off so that the only brightness was from the torches on the wall, and then he turned it back on, smiling at his little "joke."

This guy disgusted me intensely for some reason.

"As a matter of fact, hell yes," I muttered, answering his question. _Maybe, since Sebastian's one hell of a butler, he can read my mind somehow and get my location from it._

Cain spread his arms out wide. "You, my dear, are in the lovely basement of the Paranormalcy Society. We are a group of like-minded men and women dedicated to ridding the world of all its fallacies and impurities." My eyes widened at the name. That was the name of the place on that piece of paper the Undertaker had given me! _Oh great, it's actually made of a bunch of lunatic occult members? …Luna, you really need to pick better people to hang out with. _"Our divine lady in white made us what we are today - she told us what you were, that you were in need of purification. We will make sure that is going to happen," Cain shoved his face into my personal bubble, leering. "Anything to keep her happy. Anything to gain her approval. For we are but just unworthy humans, in desperate need to be cleansed…but not as much as your filthy soul."

All right, it was official: this guy was either crazy or yet another being really had a thing against me for being demon crack. "Who the hell is this 'lady in white' person you're going on about?" I demanded. "If you don't tell me, I'll…I'll…do something!" So sue me, I was out of threats at the moment.

"You should feel grateful she's shown such an interest in you," Cain answered. He began to walk towards the door, giving me a cheerful wave. "normally when we find a victim of a demon's curse, we eradicate them right away without her assistance. However, something about you has peaked the divine one's curiosity. She will be here to purify you shortly." With that, he walked through the door and closed it behind him, leaving me alone. Again.

"I'm…how do they know about me?" I whispered, wincing when it echoed back harshly to my ears. I shivered and hated the way my body had suddenly gotten cold from the worry. I wanted nothing more than to be rid of this place, and back home annoying Sebastian or Ciel, or insulting Isolde and her slutty tendencies.

_Wait,_ I thought, eyes widening. _Since when did I start thinking of the Phantomhive manor as… "home"?_ _"Home" is…with my mom and dad, isn't it? And Zoe, too. And everyone else I've grown up with. Not…some anime characters that just so happened to be real._

I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling utterly exhausted at the moment. All I wanted to do was to go to bed, even though I was hanging on a wall, suspended by chains and it was kind of uncomfortable. When I woke up, maybe all of this would be over and I would be back home - the "home" with my parents and friends, that is.

"Sebastian…" I murmured as I drifted off into sleep. "I've never needed you before…so please, just this once…come save me."

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Gotta find Dad," Luna gasped as her tiny cat lungs burned for oxygen. She could run, but not as continuously and as long as she had been to reach the Phantomhive mansion after she had witnessed Aura being kidnapped. "Gotta find Dad, and gotta save Mom!" The young half-demon was pissed at Undertaker. How could he send Aura to the Paranormalcy Society? Every supernatural being who followed the latest gossip - like Luna - knew that it was a bunch of nutty humans who thought it was their duty to make the world all bright and shiny. It wasn't the only occult-type thing out there. Rather than going to bitch Undertaker out, even though that was what she really wanted to do, Luna had to get to the Phantomhive mansion. And fast. She suspected Aura had been abducted by members of the PS, and nothing good was going to come from that.

"Dammit," Luna muttered, cursing her little kitty legs. She'd transform into her human form if she could, but under the circumstances Luna didn't think it was the safest thing to do. Because, you know, the streets were most likely prowling with lunatics lying in wait for anything out of the ordinary to snatch away. "Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!" Luna knew the Undertaker had probably thought he was just being funny. He wasn't exactly what he appeared to be, after all. The man's sense of humor was warped, being what he was.

Ignoring the frigid air and the slushy snow around her, Luna forced herself to run with short bursts of speed until she had finally reached the manor. Shifting into her more human form, she yanked open the door and raced into the house, not caring who might see her. Making her way to Sebastian's room, she burst through the door and yelled, "Mom's been kidnapped, Dad!"

The butler clad in black looked up from the book he was reading, a puzzled expression on his face. "…excuse me?"

"Ciel said Aura could go Christmas shopping so she would stop bugging him, and she brought me, and we went to the Undertaker's so he could give us ideas, and he gave Aura this paper, and then she got taken away in a carriage by a bunch of guys, and they're probably raping her as we speak!" Luna finished in one breath.

"What?" Sebastian's usually calm demeanor evaporated in an instant as the levity of what his "daughter" had just said sunk in. Rising from his desk, the demon butler asked in a steely tone, "Are you sure, Luna? You are not overreacting? This is not a prank comprised by you and Aura to distract me from my work?

_What "work"? You're sitting here reading! _"No, I swear! This is real! Aura might be in danger," Luna explained, waving her arms up and down wildly for emphasis. "because she was taken by some people who I think are members of the Paranormalcy Society. You know what that is, don't you?"

Sebastian nodded gravely. "I do. I have been keeping my eyes on them for quite some time, now, so as to assure the safety of my master. I never could have imagined that Aura would be a target of their lunacy."

"Well, are we gonna go save her, or what?" Luna demanded, twitching nervously. _It's my fault she got sucked in this…if I hadn't gone to the Undertaker's, then none of this would have happened! I'M A HORRIBLE DAUGHTER!_

"I was planning on making a French-styled meal for supper that was supposed to take all evening," Sebastian sighed forlornly. "I suppose that will have to wait. I cannot exactly have my property be 'cleansed' before I claim my prize now, can I?" His eyes glowed a bright angry red, making Luna gulp and step back slightly. "Useless humans…interfering with my duties as a butler…they shall pay."

"So does this mean we're getting a rescue posse?" Luna asked nervously. She didn't like the sudden enraged atmosphere that had suddenly surrounded Sebastian. She had figured that he was going to be annoyed, yes, and maybe just a tad bit angry. But the waves of wrath that were emanating from the demon butler at the moment…that, Luna had not been expecting.

"Exactly that," Sebastian nodded. "The swifter we get Aura back, the more time I have to make dinner."

Luna just stared at Sebastian. "You're more worried about your precious meal preparation time than Aura being in a life or death situation, aren't you?"

"I never said I was."

"You were implying it."

"How so?"

"Because you're all…you're all…ugh! Just go put together a rescue party or something so Aura doesn't get murdered by a bunch of insane nut jobs obsessed with making the world a 'better place,' so-to-speak," Luna snapped. _Guilt is slowing eating away at me and I don't like it. _"What's gonna happen if she dies and you can't have her soul anymore, huh?" She added when Sebastian didn't move.

"Absolutely nothing." Luna looked up at Sebastian, whose facial expression had transformed into…one she couldn't exactly pinpoint. "Absolutely nothing will happen, because Aura's soul still is, and forever will be mine." Without another word, he walked out of the room with a purposeful stride.

Luna supposed there was no other choice but to follow Sebastian. She did so, morphing back into her cat form, slinking behind him amongst the shadows and waiting as he opened the door to the room that Aura, Isolde, and Mey-Rin all shared. "Isolde. There is an urgent manner that needs our attending," Sebastian said as he walked through.

There was no one.

"That's odd," Sebastian muttered under his breath. Luna noticed that his eyes went straight to the bed that Aura used - it was still unmade, with the blankets and pillows crumpled up and thrown this way and that. "Isolde specifically said she would be resting in her room all day. She's been a bit tired, what with the constant going into the city to harvest a soul for us to enjoy."

"Maybe she's…gone for a walk?" Luna suggested, a bit suspicious. Like Aura, she had inherited a mistrust of the female demon. There was something odd about her. Something…that wasn't quite right, despite the fact that Isolde was indeed a demon.

Sebastian pursed his lips. "I'm going to go tell the young master what has occurred. I would have preferred it to just be Isolde and I to search for Aura, but with her gone as well I suppose I will have to call in an…acquantaince." He grimaced, as if the word left a nasty taste in his mouth.

"Who?" Luna asked, genuinely curious.

"It is none of your concern." Sebastian replied.

"…it's that gay Reaper who has a thing for you and wants to have your babies after doing hot sex with you, isn't it?" Luna grinned knowingly when Sebastian glared at her. "What, Aura told me about it!"

"Remind me to put you two in a time out far away from each other after this."

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Wake up." Something slapped my cheek lightly. It roused me from my sleep, where I had been having this lovely little dream about falling into Wonderland and was apparently Alice. Sebastian had been the White Rabbit. He looked surprisingly sexy in kiddish bunny ears and a tail, actually. Not that I was going to admit it out loud or anything.

I opened my eyes drowsily to meet Cain's grey ones. They shone with anticipation. "It's almost time for your cleansing, Aura Monray," He clapped his hands excitedly and gestured behind him, where a dozen or so men and women crowded with anxious expressions. "Are you ready to become worthy of God's kingdom?"

"No," I croaked in a voice rusty from lack of water. I was going to need some soon, as well as food. "but I am ready to kick your ass. With a rubber band. Because I am just that awesome." In case you haven't noticed, I come up with the lamest threats ever when I'm freaking out. Which I was right now. On the inside. On the outside, I was trying to harness my inner Edward Cullen and be a rock of emotionless emo. …Yeah.

Cain threw his head back and laughed. The crowd behind him joined in. I noticed that they all wore a red stone around their necks, hanging by a pretty gold (for the men) or silver (for the women) chain. Its color reminded me of Sebastian's eyes. Isolde's, too, for that manner. And Pluto's I guess. Especially when they got caught in the torch light and glinted. The shininess was almost identical to Sebastian's "anger eyes" because whenever he was pissed, the glowed. "You truly are amusing," Cain said when the laughter subsided. He smiled at me, a crazed grin that reflected the madness lurking in his eyes. "making jokes when you're going to cease to exist in this filthy vessel. Your soul will be free at last - the demon threat to you will no longer thrive."

"I'd rather be demon crack than have a bunch of insane freaks kill me!" I snapped angrily. "At least this way, I actually matter! …somewhat! Okay, probably not a whole bunch, but I have license to think that way, okay? So shut the fuck up and stop silently judging me like I know you all are." This was directed to the crowd of purity-fanatics staring at me with major "WTF" faces. Glad to know that being chained to a wall hasn't lowered my ability to make people gaze at me in wonder and awe at my epicness.

"I would refrain from that accursed type of language if I were you," Cain warned. The people behind him started muttering in reverent tones, smiling beatifically at one another and gesturing to the door behind them. I wondered just what the hell had gotten into them - maybe they all had to go pee and this was their synchronized potty dance? "The lady in white is here, now." Cain said, making me snap to attention.

_The lady in white…_

_The one who wants to "purify" me._

"Unclean. Unnecessary. Unwanted." The crowd began to chant, shuffling out of the door in an orderly fashion. "Unclean. Unnecessary. Unwanted. Unclean. Unnecessary. Unwanted." Cain patted my cheek by means of farewell and joined the dispersing crowd, which included chanting the same mantra as the rest of them. "Unclean! Unnecessary! Unwanted!"

Then the door closed, and all the lights went out with a "whoosh." I was immersed in total darkness. And utter confusion. "What the fuck just happened?" I asked out loud to no one in particular. "Have they been smoking crack or something?"

"Far from it, child. They have merely been consenting to my every wish."

I shrieked - a really high, girly scream that I immediately regretted - and paled when the room erupted in light once more. Only instead of a bunch of crazy Brits hell bent on creeping me out, there was only one person in the cell: a woman. She was really pretty, actually, wearing a white dress that looked kinda like feathers. She had bluish-white hair and cool lavender eyes. Those eyes were kind of familiar, actually…

"W-who are you?" I demanded, my voice coming out in a petrified squeak. For some reason, this chick terrified me. I don't know why. Maybe it was because she was wearing WHITE and she was a LADY?

"Your savior," The woman whispered in a kind voice, smiling at me. "Do not fear me, Aura Monray. I have come to make you clean. You will be wanted now; necessary." She stepped towards me, placing her hands on my shoulders. The chains holding me to the wall suddenly snapped as soon as she touched me, with a startled yelp I fell against her.

I'm not lesbian or anything, but her boobs were all squishy when my face landed in them.

…I can't believe I just admitted that.

"I-I'm sorry!" I stammered, leaping back from the strange woman. My face burned with humiliation. "I didn't mean to do that, I swear! Oh my God, I can't believe I just - "

"Hush," The woman placed a slender finger to my lips, looking into my eyes with her interesting colored ones. There was something in those eyes, something frighteningly dark and sinister. I didn't like it, but I couldn't walk away. "My name is Angela," The woman said, stroking my cheek with the same finger she had used to shut me up. I felt paralyzed instantly. _This lady is bad news_. "And I am your savior."

_You already said that._ "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I say," Angela smile turned more into a leer, one that was pretty damn creepy. I was really starting to wonder just what drug the creator of this whole universe was one when they made this series. I mean, look at all the insane characters! Most of them were rapists, I bet! And then that started to make me wonder just why Zoe was so into Kuroshitsuji/Black Butler…Oh God, the possibilities were endless, and each one was more outrageous than the next. "I am going to purge your soul of all its filth."

My eyes widened at the same time two giant white wings unfolded from her back, and she slammed me against the stone wall. Her hand snaked around my neck, and I managed to cough out, "Y-you're an angel?" Her grip tightened and I could barely breathe. _Are you fucking serious? An ANGEL'S going to kill me? Well whoop-dee-freaking-doo, that's a new one on me. Seriously, though…WHY THE FUCK DO I KEEP GETTING THROWN INTO SHIT THAT MAKES ME LOOK CLICHÉ, DAMMIT?_

"An angel come to you lowly humans to rid the world of the unclean," Angela whispered. She let go of my throat and I slid down the wall, coughing as air returned to my lungs. _What the hell?_ I thought distantly as the pain registered at the back of my head from when she slammed me against the wall. _Aren't angels supposed to be benevolent and all that shit?_ "I can see it, you know. The malisons in your soul. That disgusting, filthy, abhorrent demon has tainted it. It reeks of evil - of impurity. But once I am finished with you," Angela's smile turned benevolent once more. "it will once again be as innocent as a newborn babe's."

"St-stay away from me," I murmured, eyes widening when Angela placed her hand over my face. I thought she was going to crush it or something. I was absolutely scared shitless right now. I was going to die by the hands of an angel. Would that mean I'd get to Heaven? Was I even allowed in Heaven despite the whole "my soul is a power buffet for demons" scenario? I…didn't want to die. I wanted to go home and live a normal life.

"Isolde!" Angela suddenly barked, removing her hand from my face. Confused, I watched in shock as Isolde stepped through the door, her face an emotionless mask. Angela sneered in an arrogant way and pointed to me. "I sense a disturbance in the near future concerning the purification process of this lost lamb's soul. I want you to do everything in your power to stop it. Or have you forgotten our little deal, demon filth?" The angel lowered her voice in a sinister way.

"Isolde…?" I whispered. The female demon looked at me with cold eyes, eyes so red and hateful that it almost hurt to look at them. "Isolde, what the hell is going on?"

"You've taken Sebastian away from me, Aura," Was all that she said, flipping some of her black hair back as she spun around. "I can't allow you to live anymore because of that." Isolde yanked open the door and walked out, slamming in behind her.

"Wait, WHAT?" I gaped in shock. "Isolde's in league with an angel? SHE ACTUALLY WANTS ME TO DIE? What the fuck, I thought we were friends! …well, maybe not THAT far, but I didn't think Isolde actually…hated me…" I thought about it for a moment longer, and then realized that it actually made sense. I was pretty much a complete bitch to her, mind you. Even though she deserved it. But this…it was still a shock.

_And what did she mean by that Sebastian comment? I haven't taken him away from anyone! _I blushed as my brain went back to the memory of when he was licking my hand in the kitchen. I didn't want to sound like a whore or anything but, Jesus, that made me all hot and bothered inside just remembering about it. But it wasn't like Sebastian actually…liked me or anything. Right? Because that would be just stupid. I'm just a human, and he's…you know…one hell of a butler. We're like oil and water. Ketchup and chocolate. Fire and ice. Peanut butter and jelly. Oh, wait, those things actually go together. Never mind.

"Enough talk," Angela wrapped her hand around my arm, jerking me from my mental rant inside my head, and my whole body froze up once more. "It's time for the ceremony to begin. Just close your eyes, Aura dearest, and everything will become good once more…don't you want that? To go back to the way things used to be, before you arrived here?"

I nodded slowly, captivated by the compelling note in her voice and the gleam in her eyes.

"Then do as I say," Angel instructed, placing her hand over my eyes once more. "Close your eyes…think of all the happy times you had before meeting that abomination, Sebastian Michaelis…"

_Sebastian…_I let my eyes shut and practically slumped against Angela's chest as she began to chant in some weird language - Latin, I think. One part of me was screaming to wake up, but the other part of me just wanted this all to end. I was tired of having my ass dragged around on insane and dangerous trips. I was through with my emotions being screwed with over and over again by an arrogant demon bastard who constantly called me his property. As my brain drifted off once more into sleep, I remembered thinking one last thing before completely bonking out to the sound of Angela's lyrical way of speaking whatever it was that she was saying: _I'm sorry, Sebastian. I'm sorry._

**X~X~*~X~X**

Sebastian Michaelis was easily annoyed. That much was certain. However, it was one thing to be constantly irritated and poked fun of by Aura Monray, his property, and an entirely other thing for some moronic human to steal said property and make a fool out of the demon. It also did not help when Sebastian was forced to turn to yet another being who constantly bothered the hell - forgive the pun - out of him because the sole other demon in London had mysteriously vanished.

Currently, however, Sebastian was debating between the options of throwing Grell Sutcliff into the Thames and lighting the incredibly polluted river on fire or simply rip the Reaper limb from limb and scatter the body parts across all of Great Britain.

"Bassy, my dear, I'm so grateful you asked me to help!" The red-haired abomination gushed, looking as if he wanted to tackle Sebastian down and kiss him right there and then. That was how he looked like all the time, actually.

Sebastian glowered at the Reaper before looking down at Luna, who had promised to stay at the mansion to look after Ciel. Being a half-demon, she had some power to protect his young master, but not enough for a full on fight. Sebastian was betting that retrieving the idiot (I.E: Aura) wouldn't take very long, however, so he trusted Luna to watch over the mansion fairly well. Besides, she had the help of Pluto, Mey-Rin, Finnian, and Bardroy as well. The manor was well equipped with adept fighters. "You know what to do," Sebastian murmured to his "daughter."

Luna nodded (she was in her humanoid form) and saluted the demon butler. "I'll make you proud, Daddeh, if we get ambushed!"

Sebastian sighed and met his master's eyes. Ciel was biting his lip and clenching his fists - something quite uncanny. The demon couldn't remember the last time the young earl had so openly showed his worry. _I suppose Aura has indeed grown on us all_, Sebastian thought, narrowly dodging the third tackle hug from Grell in the past twenty minutes. The cretin was getting on his nerves. _Even if she might be a tad crude. She has even managed to worm her way into my black heart…but simply because Aura will be mine for the taking someday. _"Are you going to be all right without me here, Bocchan?"

"Of course I am," Ciel snapped, looking more and more like the petulant child he truly was. "I'm not some helpless little brat, Sebastian. Just go get Aura and then hurry it back here before dinnertime - I'm looking forward to your consommé." With that, he spun around and stomped off. Sebastian could almost see the apprehensiveness that clung to Ciel's small stature as he marched up the staircase.

The boy's worry was amusing to Sebastian. It was interesting how Ciel could be so concerned for someone like Aura. If her soul wasn't so precious to the demon, he would have been glad to be rid of her.

_That's not entirely what you believe, you fool._

Sebastian ignored that tiny voice in the corner of his mind and turned to Grell, who had been moping in the corner since Sebastian had dodged his "affectionate" flying embrace. "We're heading off, Grell."

The eyesore to society brightened and intoned in a passionate voice, "Oh, Sebas-chan, our fiery love shall get us through this horrendous occurrence, what with Aura darling being assaulted and all - UGH!"

Sebastian smiled pleasantly as Grell fell backwards from the shoe the demon had thrown at his head made contact. "Shall we go?" The pathetic Reaper nodded as blood spurted out comically from the gash in his head, and Sebastian threw open the door to the Phantomhive manor, stepping out into the cold winter night. He lifted his head up to the air and sniffed once - twice. Ah, there it was. That delectable scent of her soul.

_Aura._

"Follow me," Sebastian commanded Grell, breaking off into a swift trot. The aroma was still faintly strong, despite being there for a few hours. He suspected the trail would lead him straight to the idiotic girl. As soon as he "rescued" her, Sebastian would be giving Aura the lecture of the century.

"Of course, Sebastian!" Grell cried out obediently, following close behind him like a lost puppy. It was a nuisance, really, the way Grell believed he actually had a chance with Sebastian. Sebastian was a demon with a sense of pride. He would never partner up with an atrocity such as Grell - gender didn't exactly matter to a demon when mating was the question. If Sebastian thought about it, really, the young master was more of his type. Or Isolde. Even Aura was a better choice than Grell.

…_I cannot believe my mind has actually wandered into those types of thoughts. Obviously, Aura is having too much of an effect on me. _Sebastian slapped a gloved hand to his face and sighed in exasperation. The scent of Aura's soul - so close to being ripe enough to pluck, but alas! It was not quite at its peak - veered off to the right. Sebastian turned the corner and leapt up onto the roof of the building close to him, waiting for Grell to do the same. "It should be no trouble for me to find Aura, what with the way her smell is practically mapping out her entire trek across London," Sebastian explained.

"Aiyeeh! You can track Aura down by scent?" Grell asked, nose bleeding right then and then. "Ahahaha~! How sexy! You truly are one hell of a butler, Bassy!"

"Grell Sutcliff!" Sebastian spun around to meet a pair of cold yellow eyes. He recognized the face that they belonged to immediately - _William T. Spears…_ The higher-up Reaper grabbed Grell by the collar with his Death Scythe, the formidable spear from which he most likely got his name. "You disgraceful little…how much further must I demote you, hm? Spending time cavorting with demons instead of harvesting souls like your job? It seems like you never learn."

"W-will!" Grell gasped out. "Wh-what a pleasant surprise! I'm merely looking for a dear friend of mine along with Bassy, is all!"

"Keep this up and you will have absolutely nothing to reap with anymore."

Grell's eyes bugged out from behind his glasses and he cried out, "NO! Don't take away my Death Scythe…oh, I know!" Grell dropped from the spear as Will released the hold on his collar, and the red-haired man scrambled to Sebastian's side. "Will, look in today's roster and see if the name Aura Monray appears!"

Will looked a bit taken aback, but took out the small notebook that Sebastian remembered the Reapers used as a calendar for the day-to-day deaths. Leafing through it, Will gave a shake of his head after a few moments. "No. There's no one by that name on the list today."

"Well then technically I'm doing my job!" Grell squealed. "You see, Aura's going to be killed if we don't stop it. And aren't Grim Reapers supposed to protect death as well as bringing it about?" He batted his extremely false eyelashes bashfully. "What do you say, William dearest? Let me do this for one night with no punishment? I'll take all the overtime you can throw at me, as long as I get to spend the evening with Sebas-chan - I mean save Aura!"

William T. Spears locked eyes with Sebastian. The tension was so thick you could cut it with Grell's scissors. Finally, the wiser Reaper sighed and nodded. "I suppose I can let it go for one night, but I will have to come with to supervise as your superintendent, Grell. As long as the demon promises not to steal the soul we're saving," Here he glared knowingly at Sebastian.

Sebastian cocked his head to the side and smiled politely. _How I despise miserable miscreants like you… _"I solemnly swear not to touch the girl's soul." _I wouldn't if I wanted to, Reaper. It is not yet ripe enough for the picking. In due time, however. In due time._

"There! Everything's settled!" Grell clapped his hands with glee. "Shall we continue, Sebastian?"

The demon butler nodded, turning in the direction Aura's scent was wafting from. As he started moving towards it once more, he couldn't help but feel as if something was…calling him. Listening closely, Sebastian could almost swear he could hear Aura's voice whispering through his mind, _"I'm sorry, Sebastian. I'm sorry."_ For some odd reason, this greatly worried the demon.

Was Aura's time of death going to come, despite what the Reaper's little book had said? Sebastian, no matter how strongly he tried, just could not shake off the odd little feeling that was slowly growing inside of him.

**X~X~*~X~X**

At last. The scent trailed had ended. Sebastian, Grell, and Will were standing in front of a building with the name "PARANORMALCY SOCIETY" written on the sign in fancy Gothic lettering. Sebastian remembered what Luna had said about the Undertaker giving Aura directions to this place - could he be in on this? Something about the whole situation made Sebastian believe that the eccentric man had simply believed he was being amusing. The demon suspected the Undertaker wasn't exactly entirely human, but he didn't know what exactly he was, either.

"Is this the place?" Grell asked, staring at the building with a morbid fascination. The windows were covered with various posters with headlines such as "VAMPIRES EXIST," "MY MOTHER SAW A WOLFMAN," and "YOUR BUTLER COULD BE A DEMON." The last one got a small chuckle from Sebastian when he read it. All in all, the Paranormalcy Society seemed disturbingly out of the ordinary, but not exactly dangerous. There was a strange aura - once again, look past the awful pun, please - emitting somewhere from deep within the place, however. That intrigued Sebastian greatly.

"I would assume so," Sebastian nodded. "Aura's scent leads into the building."

William adjusted his glasses. "Then I suppose we might as well step inside and get this over with - "

"Not so fast."

The three male supernaturals looked up in surprise to see a feminine form leap down from the roof. Sebastian, for once, was at a momentary loss for words when he recognized the familiar crimson eyes and lustrous black hair - not to mention the admirable figure and face, as well. "Isolde." He nodded curtly to the demoness. _I should have suspected as much._

"Wait, that bitch who made out with Sebas-chan?" Grell flushed a brilliant red to match his hair and bared his amazingly sharp teeth. "I'LL KILL YOU!" William sighed and effortlessly held the enraged Grim Reaper back by latching onto his collar with the spear Death Scythe once more.

Isolde ignored the two Grim Reapers and stared right at Sebastian. "You're here about Aura, aren't you? To save her."

Sebastian nodded. "As would be expected from any other Phantomhive butler worthy of the title. And what, pray tell, is your stand in all of this?"

"To watch her die."

The sentence was said with such calmness, yet at the same time it held such a force of vehemence and hatred that Sebastian was…shocked, for lack of better words. He could literally see the detestation rolling off of Isolde in ugly waves. "Oh, really? And why so?"

"Because you pay too much attention to her." Isolde stepped forward, her words laced with venomous seduction. "You should pay attention to me and only me, Sebastian. We're meant to be mates for all of eternity. What does that brat have that I don't? Beauty? Brains? Hah!" Isolde took Sebastian's hand and placed it on her chest so that he could feel her generous endowments. For one brief second, he almost believed he would feel a heart beating within the touch. "Tell me, Sebastian," Isolde leaned in close to his mouth. "what does Aura have that makes you so enamored with her?"

"A soul."The words were out of Sebastian's mouth before he could stop them. It wasn't like the demon butler to be so hasty with his word choice. But here he was, acting like a foolish human - _Like Aura, really_ - and blurting out the first things that came to mind. He was completely serious, however. Aura's soul was a precious prize to Sebastian. A possession that he lusted for so deeply, so greatly, that if his young master ever looked inside his butler's mind, well…the poor boy would be shocked out of his wits.

Isolde's face clenched in bitter wrath and she tore away from Sebastian. "A soul?" She screeched angrily. "A SOUL?" She suddenly grinned, a wide leer that showed her lengthening teeth. Throwing her head back, the demoness laughed in a way that made Sebastian's skin crawl with revulsion. _She has gone mad._ "I see how it is. You're just as greedy as a human. Never mind what's already here in front of you - you want more. Who was it that spread the Black Plague?" Isolde slapped her hand against her chest. "It was I!"

She turned around and gestured wildly to the backdrop of the sunset against the building before her. "Who was it that started the eruption of the ancient volcano Vesuvius? It was I!" She let out another bitter cackle. "Who was it that created the first flames of the Great Fire of London? Who was it that began countless arguments between the tribes of old and watched as they fell apart, tearing themselves to shreds as they did so? It was all because of the workings of me, Sebastian! ME!"

Isolde spun around and stared hard and long into Sebastian's eyes. The demon never thought he would live to see the day where a fellow spawn of hell could convey so much human emotion into one gaze. But Isolde had managed to do such a feat. "And they were all for you. Everything I've done has been for you." Her voice was surprisingly quiet. Calm. Under control. Yet Sebastian knew that underneath the façade, there was a boiling mass of rage bubbling underneath the surface. "And who is it that has been credited with much of what I have done, Sebastian? Who?"

Sebastian did not answer.

The two Grim Reapers had long since ceased arguing and were now staring at Isolde as if she had grown three more heads and a dozen breasts and juggled apple pies on them.

_Once again, Aura's way of phrasing things is getting the better of my thoughts._

"You." Her voice cracked on that one word, pouring so much emotion into it that it was a wonder her false tranquility didn't break right then. Isolde hugged herself, looked at Sebastian with ragged eyes. "Because I love you, Sebastian. It may be impossible. It may be unlawful. But I do. And so…" A silver knife suddenly materialized in her hands, three pristine rubies glinting on the hilt. "I will have to kill you because of my love. And once I do, Aura will be dead as well. And everything…" Isolde smiled gleefully as droplets of water spilled from her hauntingly beautiful crimson eyes. "will be perfect."

_It is a good thing I'm always prepared and brought my own weapons_, Sebastian thought grimly, pulling out four kitchen knives. They were a personal favorite. So simple yet elegant, and easy to carry around. Raising the cutlery in front of his face, Sebastian barked at Grell and Will, "I will hold off Isolde! The two of you must find Aura and make sure she's all right. She's my property, you know - I don't take too lightly those who fail to see that she's in good health."

"Yes sir!" Grell sang, saluting Sebastian and racing into the building that housed the Paranormalcy Society…and Aura as well. Will followed in close behind, his Death Scythe waiting and at the ready in his hands. Isolde didn't even attempt to stop the two collectors of death - instead, she bore her gaze into Sebastian.

He could almost hear her mental sobs of tormented anguish when he looked right back into her soulless eyes.

_A soul…so precious to life…but why is it that a human - one of the most weak and pathetic creatures in existence - is gifted with it?_

"You should have been born a human," Sebastian said quietly, getting into a combat stance. He knew that he would have to look past the fond memories of all the times he and the female demon had had together over the centuries in order to win this fight.

Isolde smiled sadly, her face transforming from enraged agony to one of tragic beauty. "I know. But you cannot change what the Fates have laid out for us, can you now?"

Sebastian shook his head. "Of course you can't. If you could, we would not be here right now."

"No, we wouldn't." Isolde agreed.

And then the fight began.

**SHOOT US FOR ENDING IT LIKE THAT. SHOOT US. But we felt this chapter was getting too long. So, how was that? Good? It'd better be. We feel like we're starting to suck for this story now…so we wanted to throw something as outrageous as this little arc into the fic. The next chapter will end it, however, and Hannah and I will most likely do something Christmas themed before going into the actual plot of the anime.**

**Do you think we hit the emotions right, especially when we switched to more of Sebastian's point of view? Sorry if he seemed a bit OOC at some parts…it's kind of hard to write someone as complex as Sebastian, and it takes true talent to do so.**

**Isolde's true feelings were pretty heavy, huh? Herp derp.**

…**Aura really is starting to sound like a Mary Sue now, though…fuck. Fuck fuck fuckity fuck fuck fuck. PLEASE FORGIVE US FOR THAT.**

**If things seemed confusing or weird, it will be explained in the next chapter. Or you could just ask and we'll gladly answer. Anything we can do better, you guys know we're all up for it.  
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**Review?**


	21. That Girl, Savior

**Before we start this chapter…HAVE ANY OF YOU WATCHED THE OVA CALLED "Welcome to the Phantomhives"? I feel stupid, because I JUST FOUND IT, and…oh man…I died. Because it's sorta meant to be in the viewer's POV, AND SOMA ASKS YOU TO MARRY HIM! XDDD And Sebastian takes your dress off…saves you from creepy Viscount Druitt (though I love that guy)…carries you bridal style…feeds you cake…I was in heaven because I'm such a hopeless little fan girl. :D**

**ANYWAY. Glad you all liked chapter nineteen. This is going to be another long one with the first part being told in mostly Angela's POV because that's just the way we roll. Hope you guys enjoy~!**

_**Chapter Twenty**_

Angela hated humans.

They were filthy. Disgusting. Unclean and unfit to live in the world. But not all humans deserved to perish - no, there were those select few who would repent and be saved by her gracious empathy. Those who would agree to be cleansed and begin a new life, one free of sin and unseemly habits.

But not Aura Monray.

Even if she were to be thoroughly cleansed, the stench of her soul would forever be like rotting flesh in Angela's nostrils. All because of that demon - Sebastian Michaelis - and the way his claim was clearly on the human girl's soul. Like Ciel Phantomhive's, almost, yet it was somehow…different. Intimate in a way, if Angela could believe such a thing. Whatever the case was, one thing remained certain: Aura Monray was not allowed to continue to exist the way she did. She had to be taken care of - punished for that demon's actions.

It saddened Angela. It truly did. How melancholy it was, when a simply human had to pay the consequences for something a demon did. The same would go for Ciel Phantomhive, but not just yet. Angela needed a little more time to devise a way to get rid of the unworthy child. With the girl, Aura, it was much easier to form a plan to "cleanse."

Angela stared unblinkingly as Aura's cinematic record slowly unraveled from the girl's body. She was slumped on the ground, eyes closed and lips pursed in a sarcastic smile. Angela could only imagine the dreams she was having. Images littered the cinematic record, mostly of - this came as a big surprise to Angela - Sebastian, the very same demon whom Aura's soul had an apparent mark belonging to him. There were other images, of course. Like when Aura was a child, as petulant and stubborn as she was today, along with images of people who Angela supposed were her family and friends.

"Pitiful." The word was like acid as it seeped from the angel's lips. "So, so pitiful. I can see it clearly, Aura. Your…feelings…for that demon." It puzzled Angela. How could a human who's life had literally been snatched away and mapped out for the rest of her days care so deeply for the being responsible for it? It was obvious that Aura clearly despised having fallen so badly for the demon, but those emotions were still embedded in the girl's cinematic record. Her every thought about Sebastian echoed through Angela's mind like a continuously broken record. "I love him, I hate him, I love him, I hate him, I love him, I hate him…"

It disgusted Angela. It made the angel want to vomit out of pure abhorrence.

"You won't have to worry about any of this very much longer," Angela crooned, using one slender and pale finger to stroke Aura's cheek. The girl twitched and flinched somewhat in her dreamlike state, but did not awaken. _As it should be_. Angela thought with a pleasant smile. She was doing the human a favor, really. Ridding Aura of her pathetic existence so that she would not further contaminate the world with her soiled soul. Once Angela was finished unraveling Aura's cinematic record, her soul would be a clean slate, devoid of any imperfection or blemish. And after that? Well…

"I'm going to make you into a demon huntress, my dear child," Angela whispered, lowering her pearly white wings so that the feathered tips brushed against the brunette human girl lying beneath them. "You will hunt and destroy every last bit of filth on this earth. You will obey me and only me. And you will thank me on your hands and knees every night for giving you a better, more suitable life style rather than being… 'demon crack,' as you so eloquently put it." The angel's lips curled into a sneer as she used the words that were constantly going through Aura's mind in her cinematic record.

It was strange, really. Aura didn't have a…terrible past, like Angela has originally thought. No, her life before coming to London had been a fairly normal one, save for the occasional parental fight or argument that left a mark on her train of thought. The angel almost felt sorry for the poor girl, the way she had been yanked into an entirely different world for the sole purpose of being a snack for a demon from the depths of hell.

Almost being the key word.

"Se…bastian…"

Angela turned her vividly violet eyes to the human girl laying before her. Aura's face was pinched, as if in worry or rage, and her fists were clenched quite tightly one moment, unclenched the next. The girl's lips moved in silent protests, her eyes fluttering rapidly beneath her eyelids. Angela turned her gaze from Aura's now anxious face to her cinematic record. The angel's eyes widened ever-so-slightly as she gazed up what was being relayed inside of the record.

It appeared to be Aura and the demon scum…kissing?

Revulsion immediately welled up within Angela. "Revolting!" She spat abhorrently. The girl was obviously enjoying it, even though Angela knew it was only a dream. The angel couldn't help smiling, a cruel and twisted smirk when the dream turned dark as Aura believed Sebastian was indeed stealing her precious soul. It amused Angela immensely.

"Sebastian," Aura murmured again, fingers twitching against the cold stone floor. "Sebastian…"

_Just why is she so enamored with the demon when he will be her downfall if I was not so compassionate and decided to give her a new life?_ Angela wondered with genuine curiosity. It was amazing how Aura's emotions were so befuddled when they concerned Sebastian. Loathing and violent love were thrown together in a most interesting mix, so strong that Angela could see that they disturbed the girl greatly. She was afraid of what her simply human heart and mind could contrive.

Humans were remarkable creatures, really. So easy to manipulate. So stubborn yet so pliable. The thing that Angela loved most about humans was that even though they were all full of sinful thoughts, their emotions were what ultimately led to their fall. They could be twisted in so many intricate ways, the possibilities were endless.

"Perhaps that is how I will break the Phantomhive boy," Angela mused aloud. "His emotions…" She trailed off just then as a surge of something unexplainable hit her senses. Startled for a brief second, Angela gained her composture when she realized it was the unmistakable atmosphere of a demon getting ready to do battle. _Isolde must be doing her job at last. _Angela could still remember the first time she had seen the female hell spawn - so weak and desperate to be near the one called Sebastian Michaelis. In a way, Isolde Elrich was similar to a human. Her oddly humane sentiments that lay deep within her mind were quite easy to take hold and use for Angela's own entertainment. It had been much fun in getting the female demon to choose that slime of a human, Thomas Cullen, as a "contractor" and then infiltrate the Phantomhive household. It had been even more entertaining when Isolde had formed a burning hatred for the girl whom Sebastian desired the soul of - Aura Monray. Sometimes Angela truly wondered how she got to be so lucky in her plans to purify the world.

"I assume that means Sebastian is here as well, if Isolde is harnessing her true abilities," Angela said to no one in particular. Two unfamiliar presences hit her just then, and the angel frowned. _Shinigami._ Or, the more common term, Grim Reapers. They would most certainly interfere with Angela's plans, being that their presences seemed to be coming this way.

The way she looked at it, Angela had two options.

Either she could cease with the plan to recreate Aura into something much more suitable for the female angel's tastes and draw back into the shadows, waiting for a more opportune moment to strike.

Or, she could continue viewing Aura's cinematic record until the two Reapers interrupted her, and then be forced to reveal herself in a battle.

Angela was no fool. She had no desire to let her presence be known to those acquainted with Ciel Phantomhive or Sebastian Michaelis just yet. Sighing a heavily burdened sigh, Angela clapped her hands and the cinematic records began to wind itself back into Aura's body quickly. With her angelic abilities, Angela made sure that nothing would be too wrong with the human once she awoke from her comatose-like state. Taking a feather from her wing, Angela placed the white piece of material against Aura's eyes and whispered in the dead language of Latin, "_Oblivisci. _Forget."

It was guaranteed to make sure Aura would not remember Angela's name or face, nor what exactly transpired in the basement of the Paranormalcy Society.

Angela allowed herself to disappear just as two figures burst through the door, one dressed in black and the other in crimson. She knew in an instant that they were Shinigami - Grim Reapers. As the two men knelt by Aura's side - the one clad in a black suit and carrying a Death Scythe in the form of a spear shaking her by the shoulders while the one with red hair squealed in axiousness - Angela allowed herself to smile calmly and whisper, "I'm not finished with you just quite yet, my dear Aura Monray. Just be patient, and soon you will at last be worthy of living."

**X~X~*~X~X**

I wanted to wake up. I really did. I felt all weird, like someone had been invading the personal space inside of my mind and looking at each and every one of my thoughts and/or memories. My eyes just didn't want to open, though. I don't know how long I stayed in that state. I don't even know how I got into it in the first place. The last thing I remembered was being chained to a wall in the basement of those crazy occult members' building, and of them walking out chanting about how I didn't take showers. …okay, they were actually chanting about how I was unclean and they were most likely talking about my soul since I was demon crack, but I actually hadn't showered since coming to England. Only bathed. I kinda missed showers.

Anyway.

For some reason, while I was sleeping (or was I just passed out? I didn't really know…) I kept remembering random stuff. Like the time where my parents were going through a really hard time in their marriage and I thought they were going to get a divorce, and all they had seemed to do was yell at one another. And when I first met Zoe in kindergarten, and I threw snails at her. Somehow that led to us being best friends. Yeah, I still didn't know how that worked out. I also remembered getting my first F on a test - which had been algebra, the bane of my existence next to Sebastian - and my first plane ride, among other random things. It was really weird.

But the weirdest memory that I had was of that one really hot dream in which Sebastian had been making out with me all sexy-like, but then had turned evil and tried to eat my soul.

Yeah. Not the best memory to have when you had just been kidnapped. And the weirdest part was, after remembering that dream, I still really wanted Sebastian to swoop in and save my sorry ass. Apparently, my heart was really dead set on me being the damsel in distress and Sebastian being my demon butler knight in shining armor.

I guess the reason I finally woke up was because reliving that dream had freaked the shit out of me enough that I wanted my eyes to open at last. That, and someone was shaking me. Like really, really hard. So when I let my eyes slowly open, they were met with oddly yellow orbs and a handsome face wearing sharp-looking spectacles, along with black hair framing said kinda cute face. Connected to the handsome face was a body in a black suit, and in one of the guy's hands was a…spear?

"Ah, you're awake at last, Aura," The guy said in a crisp British accent.

For some reason, the first thing that came to my mind was, _Sebastian?_

Then I looked at him for a little bit longer, and realized that it wasn't Sebastian like I had hoped.

…_wait…_

"CREEPER KNOWS MY NAME!" I shrieked, leaping up despite the soreness in my upper arms that I assumed was a going away present for those shackles that had been around my wrists. Come to think of it, I wasn't attached the wall anymore, was I? Hm. Odd.

Noticing Grell behind the new guy, relief flooded within me instantly and I threw myself at the crimson-clad Reaper, sobbing dramatically. "GRELL! I WAS KIDNAPPED BY A BUNCH OF WACKJOBS! HOLD ME AND TELL ME I'M PRETTY!"

"Of course, Aura darling!" Grell said just as emotionally, hugging me tightly. "You're beautiful, honey, especially after being kept in a place as dirty and disgusting as this place."

When we were done bonding and hugging and crying and doing other general gay best friend crap after one of you gets kidnapped for no reason, the man who I had originally mistaken for Sebastian sighed and adjusted his glasses with his spear. Bowing slightly towards me, he said, "My name is William T. Spears. I'm Grell Sutcliff's boss, if you will. I manage the Reapers in this area. Here is my card, if you ever need it."

He stuck the spear in my face, and I hesitantly took the little piece of paper that had randomly appeared within its clutches. Maybe it was a magic spear! Or…maybe he had just put it there when I wasn't looking?

"Now that we've found you," Grell began, inspecting me to make sure I wasn't hurt or anything. "we should get back outside." His eyes welled up with tears, and he wrapped his arms around me tightly as he sobbed, "Sebas-chan and that bitch Isolde are fighting to the death right now, and here I am, unable to help my love! THE WORLD IS SUCH A CRUEL PLACE!"

Managing to unlatch myself from the sobbing Grell, I scooted close to the William guy and said in a low tone, "What's Grell going on about?" To tell you the truth, what the gay Reaper had said really freaked me out. Isolde and Sebastian were…fighting? Just what the fuck had gone on while I had been asleep/unconscious?

"A female demon by the name of Isolde has gone mad - literally - and is dueling with Sebastian Michaelis as we speak. The demon scum, Sebastian, requested the assistance of Grell and I in his search to find you after you had been kidnapped, Miss Aura," William explained. I noticed with a bit of a startle that he leaned in ever-so-slightly and was peering at me with curiosity.

I scooted away a bit. _Dude's invading my personal bubble. I've had enough of that to last a life time in the last day or so. _"I always knew Isolde was actually a fucking bitch!" I hissed through gritted teeth as worry enveloped me. Would Sebastian be okay? For some reason, a little voice in the back of my mind was telling me that she had something to do with my kidnapping. I didn't know why I thought that, but frankly I wouldn't have been surprised if it were true.

One thing did make me happy, though. _Sebastian had been looking for me intentionally?_ For some reason, that thought made me feel all warm and fluffy inside. Like a muffin. Yum. Now I want a muffin. …wow, I really need to stop getting so distracted in my own thoughts. It's like I have, I don't know, mental ADD or something.

"I don't mean to change the topic so quickly, but," Will sniffed disdainfully and eyed me once more, his voice snapping me from my wandering thoughts. "have you had someone take a peek at your cinematic record lately?"

"Dude with glasses and magical spear say what now?" I asked in confusion. The hell was a cinematic record? Like, that film stuff they use in movie theaters that always gets tangled up in the projector and then breaks the movie? I hated it when that happened! But, uh…why would this guy be asking me if I had a film projector inside my head? Do I LOOK like a traveling movie theater?

"It's a record of your life!" Grell said, coming into the conversation. Apparently he was done freaking out about how he wasn't at Sebastian's side at the moment. For now, at least. "It's a Reaper's job to view it at the exact moment of a person's death and decide from its content whether or not they're allowed to go to heaven."

"Oh." I turned to Will. "And what does that have to do with me?"

"I sense that yours has been tampered with very recently," Will answered stoically. "or at least looked at. But I know for a fact that there are no other Reapers in this area tonight - or at least, there isn't supposed to be. Who could have possibly managed to access your cinematic record?"

"I have absolutely no clue," I held my hands up innocently. Just then, the ground shook as if an earthquake was about to happen, and then all was still once more. Apprehensiveness immediately decided to make its presence known in my mind, and I clenched my fist. Something was happening right now, and I didn't think it was going to be good. "We have to go to Sebastian," I spun around and looked at Grell and Will pointedly. "He may need our help."

"I only agreed to come on this wild goose chase so that demon would not take your soul once he managed to locate you," William snapped coldly. "I'm not liable in any way, shape, or form to help him in a battle with another demon. That is not my jurisdiction - making sure death happens the way it is supposed is."

"I will do everything in my power to make sure Bassy dearest doesn't - " Grell's excited response was cut off by a heated glare from William T. Spears. Grell shivered noticeably and rubbed the back of his neck shamefully. " - steal your soul, Aura," The red-haired man finished lamely. When I glared at him as well, he muttered, "I can't really do anything for Sebas-chan even though I really want to. If I do, then Will here will demote me even further, and the only thing I'll be able to reap soul's with would be my own fingernails!"

"So you care more about your crappy little safety scissors than possibly saving Sebastian's life?" I snapped, crossing my arms and tapping my foot in agitation. Each moment we wasted down here arguing was another moment we could be doing something productive and helping Sebastian out!

_Wow, _I thought at that moment. _Since when did I become so protective of that arrogant demon bastard?_

It was a strange feeling, being worried for Sebastian. And, to be frank, I kind of liked it.

"Of course not!" Grell protested. "I love Sebastian with all of my heart! Will's just cruel, is all. As much as I adore the way he looks at me with those cold, brooding eyes of his, I'd like to keep my job and obey his orders for once. Plus," He smiled guiltily. "that Isolde bitch kinda scares me, after what I heard her rant about earlier. Apparently, she's in love with Sebastian, and so she wants to kill you for some reason, because he, and I quote, 'pays too much attention to Aura.' Crazy, don't you think?"

"Reaper Sutcliff," Will barked before I could answer. Grell turned to him with a beaten puppy dog look. "We've spent enough time dawdling. We should get back to our WORK," The asshole stressed the word, making Grell look even more sad, and it pissed me off. How dare he make my gay best friend all depressed and stuff? "which does not include watching two demons fight."

"But it includes protecting souls until their time of death, and shouldn't we be doing that for Aura?" Grell protested. Thatta boy, Grelly-Welly! …All right, that nickname is a bit creepy. Never mind.

Will looked lost for words for a brief moment, then he sighed in exasperation. "Damn him for being logical for once," He muttered. Raising his tone, Will said, "Fine. I'll allow this to happen just for one night. Aura, stay close to Grell and I; things may start to get dangerous, being that this is a demon fight."

"Thank you," I murmured, exhaling in relief. I grabbed Grell's sleeve and hung onto it as we walked out of the dungeon room and made our way through the building. I noticed that there was no one in sight, and it was practically an empty warehouse-type like place. "Where's all the people? There were a ton of them earlier when they were calling me dirty and stuff. They can't have just disappeared," I wondered out loud.

"When we arrived, there was no one here," Grell explained. "We think the humans all just upped and left."

Another mini-earthquake suddenly began, and I yelped and steadied myself by using Grell's overcoat. As soon as the tremor stopped, an inhuman scream of fury in voice that was most definitely female rang out from outside. I recognized that tone. It had to be Isolde. There was a sound of shattering glass from the level above us, and I swallowed nervously.

"I hope Sebastian's okay," I whispered.

No one tried to reassure me as we walked up the last flight of stairs and entered the main floor of the building. There was broken glass all over the floor and a few window panes were missing. Well, now at least we knew where that noise had come from earlier. I was about to say something when suddenly another shriek interrupted me, and a black mass whipped past the broken window. Without hesitation, I let go of Grell's sleeve and ignored the two Reaper's shouts of warning as I yanked open the door and raced outside, where I got a nasty surprise.

There was broken building material everywhere. It was nighttime, and the moon seemed to shine a mocking blood red. The atmosphere was charged with tension and furious energy, making even psychically-retardant me shiver as I got a creepy feeling. Hearing the sound of metal on metal, I looked up and gaped at the scene in front of me - Sebastian and Isolde jumping at one another in midair, the female of the duo holding a sharp dagger and the male doing battle with a bunch of kitchen knives. Isolde had this insane look on her face, whereas Sebastian just looked annoyed and pissed off.

"Sebastian!"

His name was out of my mouth before I could stop it. I couldn't control how glad it sounded, either. But for some reason, as soon as my eyes had landed on Sebastian's sexy body as it charged Isolde, I was overcome with…well…a helluva lot of emotions. The main one being…

Love.

_Aw, hell no! _I wanted to hit myself for feeling this way, but I couldn't help it. _I'm considering looking into a surgery that can remove the hormone part of my brain so I can be asexual for the rest of my life, dammit._

The two demons paused in their fight and looked down at me. Two sets of blood-crazy scarlet eyes met mine, and it felt like they were staring straight into my (forgive the shitty as hell pun, but I'm serious) soul. I stepped back, startled, when Isolde was suddenly in front of me. An insane smile played across her lips, and she held up the dagger. Three rubies glinted on the hilt, and I realized that they were the same stones I had seen those occult members wearing.

"It's so nice to see you, Aura," Isolde murmured pleasantly, licking her lips. I noticed with a shock that her teeth were all sharp and pointy. "Although it's a shame she didn't finish the job. I suppose I'll have the pleasure of doing exactly that."

"THIS CRAZY BITCH IS GONNA KILL ME!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when I realized that, oh hell yes, Isolde was indeed going to stab me in the face via dagger. Rather than be like a fragile maiden in all those movies you see where they just stand around and wait for the hero to come and rescue them from imminent death, and took of sprinting in a random direction - anywhere to escape Isolde. I guess I should have known that, being a demon, Isolde would have the ability to catch up with me and poof in front of me like a ninja. Again.

Still, it kinda shocked me when she did.

"Fuck," I muttered, out of breath from the short sprint. I really was out of shape. Maybe if I survived this, I would actually started exercising!

"At last," Isolde giggled girlishly. Her eyes glinted maniacally as she raised the dagger again, aiming it for my throat. I was suddenly paralyzed with overwhelming fear as her crimson orbs burrowed into my blue ones - it was at that moment that I found out how a mouse in the eyesight of a snake felt like. "with you out of the way, I'll have Sebastian all to myself for all of eternity. And once I get rid of that brat Ciel…we will be finally happy!"

"You're fucking crazy if you think that Sebastian would want to be with a home wrecker like you!" I snapped, momentarily gaining back the ability to speak once more. I was kind of wondering why the hell neither Grell nor William was rushing to my rescue right about now - weren't they supposed to make sure I died at the right time? Unless…uh…this WAS when I was supposed to die…if that was the case, then they sucked major donkey balls, and could go kiss my ass.

And just where in the hell was Sebastian? Why wasn't he duking it out with Isolde again? Or was he just being his usually infuriating self and resolving to just watch as this crazy bitch ripped me limb from limb?

"Dammit, Sebastian!" I yelled when Isolde took a step towards me, making me feel very uncomfortable. I couldn't stop looking at her crazed eyes - she looked like she had mad cow disease. It was almost like looking into a sea of blood…the blood that would result once she was finished killing me that is. _Wow, Aura, way to be emo. In these types of situations, the heroine's supposed to think positive and do something insanely creative that gets her out of the life or death situation! Oh, wait, I'm not exactly your average "heroine" now, aren't I? _"I'm your property, right?" I hated resorting to that, but if that was what it would take to make sure I lived for a little bit longer then…I was sure as hell going to go with it. "If so, then do your duty as my owner, AND FUCKING MAKE SURE I DON'T GET STOLEN SLASH MURDERED BY SOMEONE AS INSANE AS ISOLDE!"

"I was wondering just exactly how long it was going to take you to beg."

I didn't even blink when Sebastian materialized between Isolde and I, kitchen knives of doom pressed against the female demon's neck. Isolde's eyes widened in surprise as Sebastian's wrist encircled her pretty little throat, his other hand poised to dig the culinary utensils into her juglar vein. It was eerily similar to when Isolde had first arrived at the Phantomhive mansion, when Thomas Cullen had tried to rape me and Sebastian had gotten Isolde into this same exact position.

Sebastian turned his head around to look at me, and in that exact instant I was no longer paralyzed. I slumped to the ground, feeling weary all of a sudden, and looked up when Sebastian said, "It's good to see you aren't too beat up, Aura. However, why did it take you so long to ask me to save you? You should know I'm not the most patient being in the universe."

I hated the way his condescending tone made me feel all girlish inside. What am I, a fucking masochist? I glared at Sebastian but I just didn't have the energy to make a snappy comeback. Instead I flipped him off wearily with my right hand. The bastard smirked and turned his attention back to Isolde, who was trying to pry his fingers away from her neck. She had dropped the dagger while in Sebastian's vice grip.

"You're not even trying anymore, are you?" Sebastian asked quietly as he choked the female demon a bit more. Isolde just made a strange garbled sound in the back of her throat and her eyes fluttered shut as Sebastian lifted her into the air. "You've given up. And that's why you're a pathetic excuse for a demon." I gasped slightly when Sebastian suddenly threw Isolde against the wall behind us, where she landed with a bone-crunching crack. Isolde's head lolled back languidly, as if she was merely dizzy. But I saw the blood that had splattered the stones. "I've never viewed you as something more than a lesser being," Sebastian said as he calmly made his way over to the fallen demoness. "I've always thought you were weak. Pitiful. You hid behind others; submitted much too easily. This farce has been fun while it lasted, but now I'm afraid the time is nigh for this dismal façade to end."

Sebastian gripped Isolde's beautiful ebony hair, and she made a strangled sound of pain. I didn't want to watch, but I couldn't look away either. Sensing my discomfort I suppose, Sebastian glanced over at me and said in an emotionless voice, "You may want to avert your eyes, Miss Aura. Beheading a demon can be a bit messy. Then again, you know how it is, being the reincarnation of Kali and all." That last bit was said in a slightly humorous tone as he reminded me of what Prince Soma and his butler Agni had dubbed me as.

I did as I was told and focused my attention on a very interesting piece of rubble. It kind of looked like a pickle at a certain angle. Or a penis. Not that I've actually ever seen a real one, except for that one time when I walked in on my PE teacher watching this really messed up Spanish porn, and when my ten year old neighbor Jared thought it would be funny to show me his puberty booklet.

I heard Sebastian murmur something incomprehensible, and then Isolde spat out in a slurred tone, as if her jaw was broken from the impact against the wall, "I've always loved you Sebastian. I always will. Just a forewarning before I go," She laughed, a bitter sound that chilled me to the bone. "Angels don't always stay primarily in heaven. Remember that - and keep your master close. Goodbye, my love."

There was suddenly an awful "squelch" noise, accompanied by the sound of a body falling to the ground. I kept my eyes on that penis-pickle-rock and tried to ignore the metallic stench of blood. When a shadow fell over me, I looked up to see Sebastian staring at me with a very odd expression on his sexy face. "Is it over?" I finally whispered. "Is Isolde…dead?"

"Yes." Sebastian nodded. "At the end, she just gave up. She had no will left to live anymore. It wasn't too hard to…take care of her."

_Did he just take my feelings into account and not say "kill" for me? Because…this is my first actual murder that I've witnessed…and it's most likely going to give me nightmares. Just like every other freakin' thing in Victorian England._

Sebastian held his hand out just then, gesturing for me to take it. I hesitated for a moment, but eventually gave in and slowly placed my hand in his own. He helped me up and steered me straight away from Isolde's corpse, towards the building that I had been kept prisoner in for a short amount of time. It seemed like Grell and that William guy had left the crime scene so-to-speak, leaving me and Sebastian the only living people in the area. Ushering me inside the building, the demon butler began to inspect me for prospective injuries, and I suddenly wished that I had another scratch or something.

Because, as much as it pained me to admit it, I had really liked it when Sebastian had licked that one gash in my hand to heal it after I had forced my makeshift birthday cake to commit suicide_. Which reminds me, I still want a birthday party if it kills me. Er…maybe not that far, after what just went on._

The two of us were awkwardly silent as Sebastian patted himself down for injuries when he was satisfied that I wasn't hurt. Finally, not being able to handle the silence any longer, I said, "So did you really come to find me?"

Sebastian looked at me with bored eyes. "Of course. My master ordered me to find you after Luna returned all flustered because you were kidnapped. Besides," He smiled, a sinfully sensual smirk that made me want to smack him in the face and clap him flirtatiously on the ass at the same time. Seriously, I needed an intervention or something, the way my thoughts and urges conflicted like that all the time. "as your owner, I can't exactly allow you to others now, can I? Isn't that what you brought up not so long ago?"

I blushed and looked away before he could see it, even though I knew that because he was one hell of a butler, he would be able to tell no matter what. Stupid demon powers.

"Aura…just what exactly happened to you?" Sebastian's tone had suddenly gotten more quiet, and a little inquisitive.

"Like, from the start?"

Sebastian nodded.

I took a deep breath. "Well, me and Luna were Christmas shopping, and she took me into this guy's shop, and turns out he was the Undertaker. Apparently the two of them are friends. Anyway, he gave me this piece of paper with this address on it and it had the words 'Paranormalcy Society' written on it as well; I assumed that's where he was telling me to go for presents. When we started to walk to it, I was suddenly abducted, and when I woke up I was chained to a wall in the basement of this building, and this guy named Cain was telling me that 'the lady in white' was going to purify me. Oh, and that the Paranormalcy Society was dedicated to purging the world of bad things and stuff. Next thing I know, this entire occult is calling me unclean and unworthy, and bam! I'm unconscious and dreaming. And then I woke up, and Grell and that other guy were there with me. That's about it."

"And you're completely positive that nothing else happened?" Sebastian asked.

I bit my lower lip in thought, and then shook my head, but then thought about it some more and shrugged in a "I dunno" gesture. "Well…actually, it feels like something else DID happen, and I feel like Isolde had a lot to do with it, but I just don't know. And that Will dude said that he sensed that someone had been messing with my, uh, cinematic record before he and Grell had arrived. But I honestly don't remembered anything else before passing out. It's all just a…big, blank blur."

"Cinematic record, you say?" Sebastian frowned and I just shrugged uselessly. In a voice so low I almost couldn't hear it, Sebastian added, "And what Isolde said earlier about angels…and her want to kill Aura…I have a feeling this mystery has more to it than I first suspected." He sighed and took out his pocket watch. "Hm…we should be heading back. I have yet to make dinner." _Oh sure, care more about freaking supper than my well being. Thanks, Sebastian, you're the greatest. _

Just then my stomach growled, so I figured that maybe I should just keep my mouth shut and pretend like I didn't care about Sebastian, uh, not…caring…about me. I just hate it when I use the same word twice in one sentence.

Sebastian smiled softly and nodded his head towards the door, beginning to walk towards it. I followed. Once we were outside, Sebastian covered my eyes with one hand so that I wouldn't have to look at Isolde's corpse, and pushed me along a bit harshly. When we had gone quite a ways, he removed his hand from my face and coughed into it importantly. I looked up at him in confusion, wondering if he was going to say something. Imagine my surprise when Sebastian said in a strained tone, "Aura, would you…be game with the idea of the Phantomhive manor throwing a Christmas celebration in which we merge your birthday party in it as well?" The almighty demon butler looked socially awkward for a brief second before returning to his usual emo-blank-look.

"You serious?" I rose an eyebrow in surprise. I actually thought that was a freaking awesome idea. But of course, since I'm the reigning bitch in this story, I didn't come right out and admit to that. Instead, I grumbled, "You're just too lazy to throw two parties in a row. Besides, knowing you, you'll make me do most of the work or find some way to make me feel more lousier than you usually do. That's just the way you are, Sebastian. Don't even deny it."

Sebastian sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. "I swear on my duty as the Phantomhive butler that this time, you would just have to sit there and enjoy it. It's the least I could do after your being the victim of both a kidnapping and a murder attempt by my old acquaintance." He gave me another soft smile. For some reason, I wanted to think he reserved it for me and only me, and when we were alone like this. Some hopeless romantic I am, huh?

When I didn't answer and just kept walking forward (even though I had no idea where I was going), Sebastian added, "Consider it my birthday and Christmas present to you. I'll even throw not making Pluto assault you for a full week in with it as a bonus. Will that change your mind?"

…

"Okay, fine," I muttered, cheeks heating up indignantly. _Damn me and my ability to be swerved so easily because of that stupid demon hound._

"Then it's settled." Sebastian clapped his hands in finality. "I will get right to the preparations after dinner. Speaking of which, we'd best hurry it up, least Young Master Ciel and everyone else get agitated from waiting so long." He began to walk with a quicker pace.

As I obediently followed behind the demon butler, a clever retort suddenly found its way to the tip of my tongue. I really didn't want to make Sebastian angry and have him call my party thing off, but I really couldn't resist saying it either. So, I just hoped he was really feeling benevolent today, and said in a simpering voice, "Aw, Bassy, you DO care for me! You loooove me!"

"Don't push your luck, Aura." Sebastian turned around to glare at me. "I'm not above taking back my offer, if you must know. When a demon proposes something as generous as what I just did, you take it, not question it."

I grinned. "Heh. You said propose. We going back to the time where I was your girlfriend and you were going to ask me to marry you?"

"Aura…honestly? Can't you ever give up the last word in an argument?"

"Nope! 'Cause if I did, then I wouldn't be Aura Monray, bitches!"

"Teenage human girls…"

**YAY. ISOLDE IS DEAD. Ding dong, the witch is dead, the wicked witch, the wicked witch! …Heh heh, Wizard of Oz reference. XD**

**So basically the next chapter is going to be a bit of a filler chapter - Christmas-y and stuff. Plus…maybe some potential romance… *hint hint wink wink nudge nudge* **

**Hope this chapter cleared everything up! We liked making this little arc of our own creation. It was fun! Angela's such a bitch, but she's so much fun to write/watch. Ash, too. I can't wait until those major arcs~**

**You guys think Sebastian was in character enough for that last bit? Hannah and I hope so…oh, and next chapter there will be more Ciel/Sebastian interaction, so don't fret about that. He just needed to disappear for a little bit :3**

**REVIEW, OUR LOVELIES. REVIEW AND FEEL OUR AUTHORLY NON-SEXUAL LOVE. FEEEEEEL IIIIIIIT.  
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	22. That Girl, Celebratory

**Yuki: WE PROCRASTINATED. THERE. I SAID IT. THAT'S WHY THIS IS LATE.**

**Hannah: Plus we had homework…family drama…Thanksgiving…writer's block…yeah. A lot of excuses.**

**Yuki: THIS IS A LONG ASS CHAPTER FULLED WITH FLUFF AT THE END. SO YOU'RE WELCOME. WE THINK YOU GUYS WILL REALLY LIKE IT. SORRY FOR ANY PENDING OOC-NESS, IT HAD TO BE DONE. **

**Hannah: Why are you screaming? O_O**

**Yuki: BECAUSE I LAIK MAH CAPSLOCK DISEASE.**

**Hannah: Uh…all right then…you have fun with that. Anyway…**

**Both: PLEASE ENJOY AND THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS**

_**Chapter Twenty One**_

As soon as Sebastian and I returned from our little adventure, I had gone straight to bed without talking to anyone. I didn't even want to eat, which surprised Sebastian I was betting, because I was normally a pig whenever he made a big fancy dinner like he had told me he was planning before he had to come rescue me from the Paranormalcy Society. But I had my reasons.

For one, I was frigging exhausted from the whole thing. Another, I just really didn't want to see anyone, not even Luna. Or Ciel, for that matter. My emotions were all jumbled up for some reason, and I was putting my money that it was because of Sebastian. His offer about throwing me a joint birthday/Christmas party had been incomprehensively out of character for the usually suave and emotionless demon butler. Add to the fact that he had pretty much saved me from that crazy bitch Isolde trying to kill me and called me his property yet again, well…

I really hated it when my weak teenage femininity came into play with my feelings.

ANYWAY. The next morning when I woke up and slowly made my way downstairs (not the best morning person, especially after the night I had last night) and got into the kitchen, imagine my surprise when none other than Ditzy Four-Eyes - I mean MEY-RIN - practically tackle hugged me while crying happily at the same time.

"AURA!" She cried while latching herself to my waist. "I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE ALL RIGHT, YES I AM! WHEN MISTER SEBASTIAN TOLD US THAT YOU HAD BEEN KIDNAPPED, I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO DIE! WAAAAAAH!"

"Uh…" I pushed Mey-Rin off of me and blinked rapidly. "Oh…kay…"

"Who would have ever guessed that Isolde was actually an occult leader?" Finnian added from his spot at the table where he and Bardroy were stuffing their faces full with various breakfast goodies. My eyes widened when they landed on a plate full of some very familiar looking crispy strips of goodness.

_OH MY GOD, I SEE BACON! YES! HAHAHAHA! I WIN THE GAME!_

I stepped over the still sobbing Mey-Rin who was curled up on the floor and quickly snatched the entire plate from the table before either the gardener or the cook could take any more of the bacon and proceeded to chow down on my life's purpose. Which would be bacon. You know what, don't judge me, I haven't had bacon in so long that I was going to make a pig out of myself no matter what. Then what Finnian had said finally processed in my still half asleep mind, and I said, "Wait, what?"

Only since my mouth was full of bacon it sounded more like "Fway, fwap?"

"Isolde Elrich!" Finnian exclaimed. "You know, the pretty woman who was a maid to that Timothy Cullen fellow and who decided to work for the Phantomhives instead? The lady who's been living with us for awhile now?"

"Yo' memory deteriorating already, Aura?" Bardroy smirked, causing me to flip him off casually. Muttering something about how I didn't have any respect for my elders (which, in all honesty, I really don't. It just makes me that much more appealing as the main character), he added, "Well, Sebastian tol' us when 'e returned 'ome with ya that Isolde was apparently acting as head of an occult, an' she had kidnapped you to sacrifice to a demon…or sumthin' like that."

Oh, so Sebastian had used his magical demon lying abilities to make up a story about the true reason why I had gotten taken hostage by those freaks…although we didn't really know just why exactly it had happened in the first place.

_I wonder where Sebastian is right now, anyway…_ I bit my lower lip as the thought crossed my mind. I mean, I know I pretty much find Sebastian to be the most sexually appealing man - er, demon - on this earth and that I'm basically falling in love with him (someone please tell me how that managed to happen, because I STILL DON'T HAVE A FUCKING CLUE WHY IT DID) but I really hated it when my mind started to think about him in a way other than contempt.

I hated Sebastian more than the South hated the North during the Civil War. But I loved him in a way that could be considered as "burning desire" too, I guess. It was that simple.

Or that complicated.

Whichever way you preferred thinking about it. I, for one, favored choosing both ways and mixing them into one big clusterfuck.

By the way, that is not a candy bar.

I ignored my pride and turned to Mey-Rin, who was still on the floor in an emotional wreck. If I ever needed someone to cry or have a mental breakdown for me, I guess I was going to hire her. "Hey, do you know where Sebastian is? I need to talk to him about some stuff." I hoped my tone sounded as casual as I wanted it to.

Bardroy suddenly snickered, and even Finnian tittered a little bit. I turned and glared at the two male employees - and then realized that Tanaka was sitting under the table on his cushion, drinking his tea and "Ho, ho, ho" -ing as usual - and snapped, "What's so funny, you two?"

"What d'ya gotta talk t' Mister Sebastian 'bout, Aura?" Bardroy smirked. "Marriage?"

"W-WHAT?" I raged, face heating up in both anger and humiliation. _That bastard of a cook! What the fuck is he talking about? Why I oughta…I'm gonna find his dynamite and firecracker stash and shove it up his ass while he's asleep if he says one more thing like that again!_

"W-well, we all know you have a thing for him," Finny stammered, flinching when my eyes turned to him. I imagined that I looked like a demon myself, or at least I hoped I did. I tried to make myself seem bigger than I appeared by taken a deep breath and puffing out. You know, like those puffer fish in the ocean with the quills and stuff? Anyone? Anyone? …you all suck. "And Mister Sebastian was even considerate enough to let you sleep for a whole day after your being taken hostage…"

"A whole day? Really?" Wow. That IS considerate of Sebastian. All right, now I'm suspicious - he has an ulterior motive underneath all this nicety, doesn't he? _Scheming asshole… _I cleared my throat and acted like that didn't rattle me or make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "A-anyway, just tell me where he is. I really need to talk to him. Like, now. So stop being assholes and just tell me where Sebastian is. Okay?"

"Mister Sebastian is with the young master in his office, yes he is," Mey-Rin came to my rescue, apparently done with having her little mental breakdown. Then I noticed she was glowering slightly at me (although it was difficult to be sure since most of her face was obscured by those nerdy glasses she wore), which made me feel kind of uncomfortable, so I just shoved a piece of bacon into her mouth and hopped to the doorway.

"Thanks, Mey-Rin!" I said from the doorway as she coughed out the delicious piece of meat - by the way, I was carrying the bacon plate with me because there was no way in hell I was leaving it for Bard and Finny to demolish without me - and raced out of the kitchen into the foyer and up the stairs.

As I made my way to Ciel's office, I began to wonder just where the hell Luna had run off to. _She'd better not have abandoned me for some reason,_ I thought to myself with a frown, munching on probably my eighth piece of bacon. _As her official mother figure/adoptive older sister, I'll be kicking her ass if Luna really did run away or something. I NEED HER CUTENESS IN MY LIFE BECAUSE CIEL LIKES TO ACT LIKE HE HATES ME WHEN I KNOW DEEP DOWN HE LOVES ME!_

After having my own little pity party inside my head, I finally made it to Ciel's office. I was beginning to think I should suggest for Ciel to build walking sidewalks or transport beams into his mansion, because damn…I was out of shape, and walking all the way across his freaking house really kicked my fat ass.

As I approached the office door, however, I paused and listened closely. I could hear Sebastian and Ciel talking from inside the room, and I was curious as to what they were discussing. Plus I really liked eavesdropping on people because it made me feel like a ninja and stuff, and what person DOESN'T want to be a ninja? Exactly! No one! Because everyone loves ninjas! Although pirates are better, at least when they're played by Johnny Depp and their name is Captain Jack Sparrow…OH! You know what's better than a pirate OR a ninja? A PIRINJA! A pirate-ninja combination! Think about it, it would be so badass! You could go invisible AND drink an entire pub's worth of booze! And you could have sex with anyone you wanted while throwing ninja stars at intruders! And -

Oh, right, the conversation between Ciel and Sebastian. Sorry. Excuse me for having mental ADD.

"The invitations have been sent out and delivered, my lord." That was Sebastian's voice, smug as usual. I hated the way it made me smile slightly. Stupid goddamn hormones… "Tonight, the Phantomhive mansion will be the highlight of the Christmas season."

"Honestly," That was Ciel sighing, sounding as apathetic and tired as he normally did. I wish he could take a vacation. "I fail to see just why exactly we have to host a…Christmas party." The words sounded like they tasted sour on his tongue. "It's too time consuming. And I do not want all those people at my house, Sebastian."

"Bocchan, Lady Elizabeth was so excited when I told her," Sebastian answered with a humorous tone to his voice. "You don't want to make her sad now, do you?"

"…damn you for blackmailing me all the time," Ciel muttered. Then, in a louder voice he added, "What does Aura have to say about this also being her birthday party? I assume you asked her after you rescued her from that female demon Isolde, correct? Or…did you just go ahead and plan it, being one hell of a butler and all?"

Go Ciel for poking fun at Sebastian! WOOT!

"Now, now, young master," I imagined Sebastian to be face palming at this exact moment…but since he had the personality of a rock, he was probably just sighing in exasperation. "I may be a demon, but I am a demon with class. Of course I conferred with Aura to see if she was up for a celebration such as this." He paused, and then added, "She was a bit hesitant at first, but then agreed to go with it. In fact, speaking of the party, I should begin to prepare for it…seeing that it is tonight."

_Whoa, the party's tonight already?_ I almost dropped my bacon in surprise. That would have been a crime! "Well they sure waste no time in getting things like this done and over with," I muttered, glaring at the closed door. "This stupid thing had better be good if it's coming up so quickly, or else I'm boycotting!" Boycotting what, I didn't exactly know at the moment. But hey, I would find a way to make it work. I was just that awesome.

"And speaking of Aura…" I looked up from my platter of bacon as the door opened slowly, creaking kind of creepily and plunging me into bad memories of Drocell the Creepy Puppet Dude's abandoned mansion. Sebastian in all his black-clad demon butler glory strode out quite arrogantly and smiled down at me. Damn him for being so tall… "Aha. Seems the sleeping princess is awake at last - and listening in our conversation, no less. And with her breakfast, as well." A devious smirk played on his too handsome for his own good face. "Why am I not surprised, Miss Aura?"

"About what? My traveling breakfast or the fact that I was being a ninja and eavesdropping on you guys?" I asked, trying to act like his princess remark hadn't affected me or anything while simultaneously stuffing yet another piece of bacon into my mouth. I spotted Ciel's head poking out from behind Sebastian's back and I immediately pushed past the demon butler, shoved the platter of bacon into his hands, and hugged the young earl with all my might. "Hi Ciel! Did you miss me?"

"Not at all," Ciel muttered into my chest. Woops, I was squishing him with my boobs a bit. Even though I had a lack of major cleavage. Hooray for boob talk! He pushed me away and glared at me with his visible eye.

"Oh, Ciel! You wound me! You hurt me! Right here, in my fair maiden's heart," I bemoaned dramatically, clasping my hand over my heart and placing the backside of the other one against my forehead. Sniffling, I shook my head side to side. "Sebastian, tell your master that he's being far too cruel to someone who's been having a very rough couple of days!"

"Always one for over dramatics," Sebastian rolled his burgundy eyes. "Did you enjoy your rest, Miss Aura? I took the liberty of doing all of your chores and allowing you to have a bit of a vacation for the day. However, that means you owe me double time after tonight's festivities are over with." I'm pretty sure that's what he said during that sexy "I'm going to heal your hand by licking it because I have magical demonic spit" incident, but I guess I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"So, uh, did I hear right?" I asked, plucking a strip of wonderful smoked meat of awesomeness from the plate I had shoved into Sebastian's hands. "We're throwin' the city's hottest X-mas party slash my birthday bash tonight? …is there going to be sexy male strippers to wait on my every beck and call?" The funny thing is, I was only half kidding on that last part. Half being the key word here.

Both Sebastian and Ciel just kind of stared at me with blank looks, then turned their gazes to each other, and shook their heads in synchronization. "Just go get ready for this blasted party, Aura," Ciel sighed, slapping a hand to his face. "The only reason I agreed to this bloody thing is because Sebastian barely asks for anything, and I was feeling charitable seeing that it's the holiday season. Don't test my patience, Aura, I don't want this to be for nothing."

"Aw, so you do love me!" I gushed, grinning when his face flushed a cute bright pink full of indignant emotions. "Thank you so much, Ciel! It means a lot, you know~"

"I don't love you, dammit!" Ciel snapped angrily, pushing me out of the room. "Now go get ready for this stupid thing!"

"You're so adorable when you're all pissed and stuff," I giggled, holding out my arms beseechingly. "Now come here and give your awesome adoptive sister a hug."

"Sebastian! Will you get her to take this seriously?" Ciel demanded, spinning around in his agitation and heading for his desk that was piled with a bunch of paperwork, as always. "That's an order!"

"Of course, my lord," Sebastian nodded, clasping a hand onto my shoulder and moving me forward. "Come now, Miss Aura. I'll assist you in choosing a dress for tonight's celebration, and then I will be off making sure everything is in place for our most esteemed guests. Let us leave Bocchan alone so he can sulk - ahem, I mean work - in peace."

"…do I get to eat my bacon?" I asked hopefully.

"Er…I suppose so, as long as you don't get the dresses sullied with grease."

"THEN LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED, BITCHES!"

**X~X~*~X~X**

After Sebastian dragged me away from darling little Ciel's office, he had taken me straight to a room I had never been in (which was really, really, REALLY far into the manor…I swear, they need to get a map with one of those "You are here" dots on it so I know where the hell it is that I'm going) and told me that it was where they kept all their dresses and/or tuxedoes. And then I had refused to go into the room because I first wanted to know where Luna was, since I considered her like a little sister and I was kinda/sorta freaking out about where she could possibly be.

So what if I have an older sister complex? I'm very protective of those I love and find cute!

Anyway, want to know what Sebastian's answer was to my question about Luna's whereabouts ? I bet you do. It was none other than this:

"Luna has decided that Pluto is intriguing company. She has been outside with him for the past couple of days. Honestly, I cannot fathom how she managed to get attached to that mangy creature…I pray that Luna does not resolve to mating with the hound, lest I will be very…angry."

…yeah. Shocked the hell out of me too. And I answered with: "If I see Pluto humping Luna while he's in his naked human rapist form, I'm going to chop his balls off and sell them on the black market as a cure for cancer."

And thus, Sebastian and I bonded over our mutual hatred for Pluto.

Huzzah.

Well, actually, I don't exactly hate Pluto, I just strongly dislike him ninety nine percent of the time. The other one percent, he can have his moments where I find him somewhat bearable.

Anyway, after Sebastian had let me know of Luna's less-than-desirable location at the moment (I was kind of depressed that she wasn't dying to make sure I was all right, but in a way it made sense. She was a cat who happened to be part demon. Mix that together and you get one big ball of bipolar disorder) I had agreed to let him shove me into the room full of fancy clothes and whatnot and help me pick out a dress.

But there was no way in hell I was letting him put it on me or anything like that. For one thing, I'm not a whore and I have modest values, despite all my innuendo jokes. For another, since I was pretty sure I was in love with him, letting the demon butler take my clothes off to put some more on would most likely lead my mind into a gutter that would make a Frenchman proud. Add the fact that I had a sinking feeling that Sebastian helped Ciel dress himself every morning, I would no doubt feel very awkward if I let him dress me as well.

Excuses are the greatest things, aren't they?

Moving on.

Rather than telling you the entire experience of Sebastian acting like a straight version of that guy on "Say Yes To The Dress" because that would take too long and I would rather much forget about the entire thing, I'll give you a brief summary of all the wonderful and beautiful things that happened:

One: Sebastian either called me fat in a very intricate and British way, or I'm just that paranoid and like to assume that he's out to insult me at every chance he gets. Which, in all reality, I wouldn't be too surprised if it were true. I'm not regretting my actions towards him or anything, but from all the shit I've put Sebastian through I wouldn't put it past him to find some way to get back at me.

Two: I realized that running around in a pair of fancy Victorian-style high heels when the demon butler who is trying to help you pick out a party dress leaves the room to do something for his master is not a good idea, because then you fall flat on your face just as he reenters the room, and then there is a very awkward silence until he makes some crack about how you're just a clumsy human. Oh, and you also sprain your ankle a bit. But no big deal. It's just my physical well being, after all.

Three: By looking into a mirror for the first time in a couple of days, I found out that my precious silver streak had finally run its course and had completely disappeared from my chocolate brown locks. Which depressed me, because in a weird way it was my last connection to my old life. With my phone and iPod dead, my silver streak was the only corporeal reminder to me that I didn't belong in old time England. I belonged in the twenty first century, not Victorian-era London surrounded by a bunch of rich people and demons who wanted to suck my soul out. This sounded like some crappy horror movie that was turned into a parody or something. I know I normally don't get all sentimental and mopey, but for some reason seeing that particular absence of awesomeness just really hit it home that I might never return to my old life, and it was really hard to pretend that it didn't affect me at all while I stood in Sebastian's line of sight.

And four: Purple is my color. …that's my way of saying that the dress Sebastian and I finally decided would work best was purple. And it was bad. Ass.

The dress was this really pretty shade of violet, and it looked kind of like Cinderella's ball gown with a few differences, like the bottom had black lace on it and the matching gloves were black as well. All in all, it was kind of a toned down version of that Gothic Lolita stuff Zoe used to show me online, and I really liked it. The best thing about the dress was that both Sebastian and I agreed on it, which was a surprise. Then again, we had been arguing back and forth about the large pile of reject dresses for a couple of hours or so, so I suppose he was getting tired with my pickiness. Hey, it's my birthday party, I'm going to damn well wear what I want.

I had to put my foot down about the shoes, though. See what I did there? I made a pun! …my sense of humor is all over the place. Ahem, well, anyway…the shoes that Sebastian wanted me to wear were this old lady-ish heels that looked like something my grandmother would wear to her own funeral. In fact, I think that the particular pair of shoes we were arguing back and forth about WAS what she wore in her casket. Well, finally after minutes after minutes of battling Sebastian about the shoes, I finally exploded and told him that the pair I wanted to wear were the ballet slipper-style ones that were a soft lavender. So what if they looked like house slippers? They were comfortable and I wouldn't break my neck walking around in them.

Unless someone *cough* Sebastian *cough* decided to push me down a flight of steps while I was wearing them. Then yes, I would most likely snap my neck and die a quick but painful death.

After that whole fiasco was done and over with, Sebastian said that he had to see to the meal preparations and decorations. He had to send Finnian, Bardroy, Mey-Rin, and Tanaka out into the city to get some "supplies" (we both knew it was just an excuse so he could use his magical demon powers to get everything done without them seeing it and suspecting something. Although from what I've witness, the Phantomhive servants aren't quite the brightest bulbs in the bunch. What they lack in intelligence they make up with in charm, I suppose.) so with everyone else out of the house, I was forced to spend my time waiting for the party to start all alone in my room.

I wasn't even going to try to get Luna to hang out with me, because from what I had seen of female demons when they had some romantic feelings towards male demons (even though Luna was only half demon and her other half was cat, I still thought it applied to her) they got attached. Like, majorly. Like, so attached to them that if you came between them the girl demon would go all "LOL I'mma keel jooz BEEEETCH."

I was, of course, referring to Isolde and how her last moments on this earth were spent in insane Sebastian obsession whilst she was trying to kill me.

But I digress.

Let's magically skip time to when the actual party starts now, shall we? After all, this is my story that I'm telling, and I can do it in any format I want.

Narrator of awesomeness magical time skip powers…ACTIVATE!

**X~X~*~X~X**

_I know I don't like it when I'm really impressed by Sebastian's abilities, but…dayum. The mansion looks like it just came off of a Christmas movie set. It actually feels…cozy!_

I stared in shock from my place behind the luxurious curtains up on the stairway down at the foyer. There were tons of people in fancy dresses and sleek suits everywhere, as well as tons of Yuletide-style décor and whatnot. Mistletoe, red bows, jingle bells, pine boughs and wreaths, red and green ribbons, a big Christmas tree in the corner…you name it, it was there.

Sebastian had even somehow managed to get a band to play Christmas carols in one of the corners of the foyer even though the whole party was so last minute. Then again, despite the announcement being so last minute as well, there sure were a lot of people here. I guess Sebastian really just was that much of a hell of a butler.

There was a large table with a variety of goodies like cookies and pie, and by that table there was a whole bunch of liquid refreshments ranging from juice to wine to vodka. I resisted the urge to sigh happily when the pleasant aroma of baked goods assaulted my nostrils. I really was a sucker for a good pastry. As was proven at Ciel's birthday party when I got on a bit of a sugar rush.

"I wonder when I should go down," I muttered to myself, retracting away from the curtain and staring at the wall. I had managed to get my dress on without any trouble (well, actually, I got stuck in it for a little bit because of the stupid corset, but let's not dwell on that, shall we?) and I had decided to just be lazy with my hair. Which meant that it was down in all its curly glory with a single braid on either side framing my face. I had wanted to go for a kind of elf princess feel, but it hadn't really gone over exactly how I had planned it to. But whatever - I was still pretty pleased with how I cleaned up. My ballet slipper-style shoes fit comfortably on my feet, and my dress actually made me feel…pretty. I had figured out how to get it so my corset wasn't choking me, and so the fabric fit to my minor curves just ever-so-slightly.

"If anyone ruins tonight for me, I'm going to go apeshit on them," I sighed, pursing my lips in thought. I wore no makeup whatsoever save for my chapstick, and no jewelry either. It was terrifying, really. Imaging all the sexy women down there with brilliant makeovers and gorgeous fancy jewelry.

_Oh, come on, Aura!_ I shook my head defiantly. _Since when have you really cared what people think about you? This is YOUR night technically, even though no one else but Ciel and Sebastian really know. Do NOT let it get ruined because of people judging you for the way you look. Now buck up, smile like you don't give a flaming horseturd, and walk down those goddamn steps and have some fun._

On occasion I tended to despise my inner voice, but today I could have kissed it. Which would be really awkward, because it would be like kissing myself, and I definitely do not roll that way.

Steeling myself for the worst to happen, I swallowed the lump in my throat and stepped away from behind the curtain. Placing one gloved hand on the rail and one foot on the step, I slowly began to make my way down the stairs. I almost froze up from fear when almost every single head in the room swiveled to watch me make my descent. It even felt like the music had stopped.

"Who is that?" I heard someone mutter not too quietly. "I've never seen the likes of her before. What's she doing on the Earl's banister?"

"I believe she's a new addition to the payroll," I heard another voice answer.

"She's not that much to look at now, is she?"

"Oh, do be quiet and pay attention to the dance!"

Before I could have a panic attack, I reached the bottom and made a beeline straight for the table with food on it. Piling a bunch of cookies on top of one another, I retreated to behind one of the pillars behind the stairway to eat my sweets in peace while watching various couples dance.

The party really was nice. I had to hand it to Sebastian, wherever he was at the moment. Ciel, too. I had to thank him for giving in and letting it be thrown at his manor when I know he would rather be upstairs all alone doing his paperwork and generally being an all around emo.

_Speaking of Ciel, there's him and Lizzie. _My eyes found the two, who were dressed quite extravagantly, dancing in the middle of the foyer. Ciel had this begrudged look on his face whereas Lizzie was smiling brightly and laughing. I found myself smiling as well as I watched the two dance. They were too cute for words.

Letting my eyes wander throughout the whole room, I found Mey-Rin, Finnian, Bardroy, and Tanaka all mingling in the crowd and speaking with the guests. I also spotted that Chinese dude - Lau - and his lady friend leaning against the wall and watching the crowd as well. Just as I was about to get up and snatch some wine to taste (hey, I had no guardians here! I could stand to get just a teeny bit drunk!) a hand snatched my wrist and I looked up into the eyes of a…very familiar face.

**X~X~*~X~X**

Sebastian allowed himself to smile warmly at the large amount of guests who were acting as if they owned the mansion. They disgusted him, in all reality. He could sense the impurities on their souls - the sins greed, lust, and envy stood out the most on them. The wealthy of today's world were so corrupt.

Sebastian was quite pleased with himself about the appearance of the Phantomhive manor. It looked, for lack of a more humble term, exquisite. _What kind of butler would I be if I could not manage to accomplish a feat as simple as decorating for a party?_ Sebastian mused to himself. Suddenly a presence at the top of the stairs entered his senses, and he looked up at the stairwell to see…Aura.

She looked…she looked better than she normally did. Almost like an innocent maiden, fair and virtuous. Sebastian did not want to think of her as that since he knew it was the complete opposite, but she truly did. The lovely violet dress fit her like a glove, and he had to admit the plain shoes she had chosen went along with the outfit quite well. Aura's hair was done simply, yet it just added to the portrait she was painting in his mind.

The demon hated to admit to it, but all in all, Aura could clean up quite nicely. However, an outward appearance was one thing - on the inside, the same stubborn and foulmouthed impudent child lie in wait for a victim.

Sebastian watched as Aura's figure descended down the stairs. Her face was contorted with nervousness, that was plain for all to see. He could imagine the nervous wreck she was on the inside. Aura looked all around the foyer - failing to notice him, Sebastian noticed with a bit of an amused smile - and quickly shot for the refreshments table. _That comes not as a surprise. _She then wandered behind one of the many pillars, presumably to snack on the platter of desserts she had piled onto it.

"Bocchan," Sebastian turned to his master, who had just finished a dance with the Lady Elizabeth. Ciel looked up at him with a bored and tired expression as he slowly inched away from the bubbly blonde young girl, who was turning to speak with her maid Paula . "I really must say that I congratulate you on choosing to hold this celebration. I am quite sure the guests are enjoying it."

"It was just to get Aura to stop being so bothersome all the time," Ciel muttered, looking down. "Since she made such a big deal about missing her birthday just a short while ago."

"She has grown on you. Hasn't she, my lord?" The demon butler couldn't resist smirking a tad at his master's light blush. "She's like the older sister you never had. Perhaps a mother figure, even?"

"Don't patronize me, Sebastian!" Ciel snapped irately. "Aura's a nuisance. That's all she will ever be if she continues with her current attitude."

"Pride will always be your downfall, my lord." Sebastian laughed softly. "All humans let their pride get the best of them. Even demons as well." The demon wasn't going to admit so blandly just yet to the young earl that Aura had indeed grown on him as well. In an odd way, it was somehow reassuring to be berated and insulted by the stubborn and rude girl constantly. It made Sebastian realize just how unpredictable and amusing humans could be.

Suddenly Ciel smirked slightly. "Hm. It seems the Viscount Druitt has found a new victim." Sebastian's eyes shot to where Ciel was looking at, and he suppressed the rage that suddenly flared up inside of him. That foolish idiot - Druitt - was heading towards where Aura was hiding out.

Sebastian stiffened slightly when the blonde and flamboyant man pulled a hesitant looking Aura along behind him into the dancing crowd. Unfamiliar emotions were boiling up inside of him, and Sebastian wanted to get to the bottom of them once and for all. He had noticed them right after he had rescued the idiot ("the idiot" in this case being Aura, of course) from Isolde's madness, and they were quite curious to the demon. They were also a bit infuriating - Sebastian despised being vexed by his own feelings, as if he was a weak minded human himself.

Before Aura had a chance to look at him as the viscount dragged her into a dance, Sebastian veered off into the shadows. "Where are you going?" Ciel asked curiously as his butler began to sneak into the crowd.

Sebastian said what was completely and utterly the truth - after all, he could not lie to his master. "To rescue my property from humiliation."

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Why, what's this hauntingly beautiful creature doing here hiding all by herself?" The Viscount Druitt asked, batting his blonde eyelashes. I resisted the urge to smack him across the face. He was invading my personal bubble. _Sebastian, why the hell did you have to invite HIM?_ I thought silently in my head, smiling a forced smile at the viscount. Frankly, my opinion of him from what I had seen at the curry contest was not that flattering, and I got a very creepy feeling around him.

"Um…eating?" I offered lamely, gesturing to my empty plate full of nothing but crumbs.

"You're quite the cute one, aren't you?" Druitt placed a gloved finger to my nose and dragged me out into the crowd, much to my dismay. "Come - we shall dance the night away!"

"W-wait, I didn't even say yes!" I protested angrily, noticing out of the corner of my eye that Ciel was smirking knowingly at me. I was suddenly spun violently in a circle to the tune of whatever Christmas song the orchestra people were playing, causing me to get lightheaded almost immediately. "GAH! Let go of me, you asshole!" I snapped in a wavering tone.

"Oh ho, my little eaglet is a feisty one indeed," He proclaimed. "But do not fear - I shall break your reluctance with my glorious affection, and we shall be the most talked of dance couple of tonight…and for all of eternity, my soaring eaglet!" The viscount's sugary tone made me want to puke - as well as the motion sickness I was starting to get from being twirled around so much - and I couldn't see just how in the hell all the women beginning to surround us were jealous.

The guy was a creep! A closet pervert! A rapist! Any other derogatory adjectives that I can use against Druitt! And I swear, if he didn't get his hand off of my waist RIGHT NOW, I was going to -

"Pardon me, esteemed guest."

Druitt stopped spinning me around long enough for me to get a good look at our new arrival. It was…it was Sebastian. And he looked…really hot. I mean, he wore his regular black butler getup like he always did, but something about being surrounded by Christmas decorations and other people dancing made Sebastian's obvious sex appeal go up by like thirty percent. I was surprised I didn't start drooling or at least staring at him like a bimbo.

Druitt cocked his head and said, "Yes?" He sounded annoyed as he stared at Sebastian warily. His eyes seemed to convey the message of "Don't you dare touch my raep (it's supposed to be spelled that way for shits and giggles) victim, BEEOTCH."

Sebastian bowed low and humbly, but he looked up at me subtly enough so that I could see his burgundy shaded eyes staring at me through his messy black hair. "That would be my dance partner for the evening that you are currently waltzing with. Can I offer a replacement partner so that I may be so humble as to accept Miss Aura back?" Without waiting for him to respond, Sebastian "politely" shoved a pretty lady to Druitt's side and yanked me away. Deciding for once to keep my mouth shut and to thank whatever gods had sent me a blessing in the guise of Sebastian, I let him pull me away from the bewildered lady and the pissed Druitt over to an empty space in the foyer.

"Why did you do that?" I asked quietly, trying to pretend like the way his warm hand was gripping my wrist wasn't overly stimulating. In all honesty, it felt right for Sebastian to hold me there. It made me feel safe, protected. Wanted, even, although I'm not quite sure how that played out. And that made me hate him even more than I already did if possible.

…I think I need an intervention, because now I'm starting to confuse even myself with this whole "I love him, I loathe him" deal my mind has going on.

"Simple," Sebastian's arms suddenly were in place for a dance - one holding my hand while the other gripped my waist softly. I had no other choice but to follow suit and place my free hand on his side as well, trying not to feel the muscles under that black suit of his. "you are my property. I don't take too well to idiotic human men stealing you away from me."

His red eyes danced merrily under the shimmering chandelier lights above our heads, and for the first time it looked like Sebastian was actually smiling. Not a fake smile - a real one, with substance and emotion in it. If that was even possible for an arrogant demon like him.

"So you're playing that 'property only' card again, huh?" I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Well, I can't say I'm not grateful for getting me away from that douche bag. So I guess I'll just shut up and count my blessings and go with this."

"That's the spirit, Miss Aura."

Sebastian began to move with the beat of the music, swaying gracefully with me in tow. He led; I followed. He was the man; I was the woman. I wanted the moment to last forever, with just the two of us dancing to the music, but my world of two was broken when I heard a whisper from somewhere to my left.

"How dare she dance with that Sebastian Michaelis fellow!"

"It's absurd - they may be servants of the same class, but he is much too dignified to stoop to that wench's level."

"Well, you know what they say about servants…when the pickings are slim, anything goes."

I stiffened as whispers swirled around us. I felt all eyes on Sebastian and I as we glided across the floor. I wanted to stop dancing. I wanted to curl up in a ball and get away from everyone and everything. I wanted them to shut the hell up and stop judging me.

I was wrong about before.

I DID care what people thought.

"Stay sharp, Aura," Sebastian murmured, towering over me so that his mouth was practically against my forehead. I could feel each intake and exhale he took. It made me shiver in useless anticipation, despite everything else that was going on at the moment. "Their opinions mean nothing to us. If you let every little murmur of gossip about you that is short of flattering, then you would most definitely be a wreck. This is just how things happen in this wretched society. All you can do is lift your head high and ignore it. How on earth do you think Ciel Phantomhive has gotten this far?"

Hearing Ciel's name reminded me of something.

"O-oh crap!" I whispered harshly, stopping in my tracks. Sebastian stopped as well, looking at me curiously. "I never did get any Christmas presents for any of you! Well, actually, since I'm pretty sure your niceness is just an act and you're going to get something out of this whole party later - " - there goes my big mouth again - " - leaving you out of getting a gift is okay. But Ciel…I wanted to get him something really good! Now a hug will just have to do…"

"If it's any consolation, the young master and I did not get you a gift either," Sebastian answered with a guileless smile. "We concluded that this party would be enough, seeing that you're not the most hardworking servant out there."_I knew his kind act was too good to be true._

I sighed and bit back a grin. For some reason, even though it was a bit insulting, I liked the way Sebastian was always so indifferent to me underneath all the false saccharine attitude. _What am I, masochistic? _I mentally slapped myself as Sebastian began to dance with me again, this time leaning his face down close to mine. Uncomfortably close, if you asked me.

"You're invading my bubble," I stated stiffly as I felt his grip on my waist tighten a little bit. "Sebastian!"

"Just admiring how for once you actually look presentable, nothing more," Sebastian answered cheerfully. "You can clean up quite well when you want to try, Miss Aura."

"Shut up," I muttered, forgoing our staring contest and looking down with a blushing face. Technically, coming from Sebastian, that could be considered high praise. Too bad it had the negative effect of making me feel like a stupid, infatuated little schoolgirl. Keeping my head down, I added begrudgingly, "This is a nice party, by the way. You did a nice job with it on such short notice. Thank…you…" I said the last bit slowly and uncertainly, because one half of me really didn't want it coming out of my mouth and the other half threatened to say more than I cared to speak at the moment.

"I'm a simply one hell of a butler, Miss Aura," Sebastian answered. "What kind of butler would I be if I could not decorate for a little party?"

"Yeah, yeah, you say that all the time, I get it by now. You're like Jesus with your miraculous works and shit."

"I believe that's a tad sacrilegious, calling me the Son of God. Considering the tiny little fact that I happen to be a demon."

"Well, it was the first thing that came to my mind. Shut up."

Before Sebastian could say anything, the door suddenly swung open and a very familiar crimson figure threw himself across the dance floor (much to the guests' shock and annoyance) saying in a very loud and passionate voice, "MY DEAR BASSY!"

Sebastian just sidestepped away from me as Grell came tumbling down at him, causing the reaper to fall flat on his face on the floor. Everyone just sort of stared at him, and Sebastian's expression held nothing but controlled anger, disgust, and contempt. Grell hopped back up from his spot on the floor and spun around to look at Sebastian and I, and I got a better look at his outfit. Which was…something a male being should never wear, even if they ARE homosexual.

Grell…

Was wearing…

A red miniskirt and tube top with white fuzz like a feminine Santa coat accompanied by black hooker boots…

And he had a headband from which a sprig of mistletoe hung directly down in front of his face.

It.

Was.

AWESOME.

I couldn't even say anything, I was trying not to bust a gut right then and there.

"What the devil are you doing here, you monstrosity?" Sebastian demanded, narrowing his eyes. He grabbed Grell by the collar and began to drag him through the crowd without waiting for an answer, towards the kitchen door. Since I didn't feel comfortable being out there all by myself, I follow the two of them into the kitchen. Once all three of us were in there, Sebastian threw Grell against the wall and cracked his knuckles ominously. "Answer me, Grell," He said in a low voice. "I don't have time for your shenanigans tonight. You have just ruined a perfect evening. Tell me just why exactly I should not flay you right here and right now?"

"B-because I'm here to spread holiday cheer and all that jingle!" Grell stammered, forcing a terrified smile onto his face. He backed up against the wall as Sebastian loomed over him.

"Grell, honey, you kind of did make a mess of things," I said as nicely as possible. "All those people in there are going to give Ciel shit about why he would let a crazed lunatic - not that you are one - into his manor during a Christmas party."

"One of the guests is on the to die list, okay?" Grell shrieked, hyperventilating when Sebastian gripped his collar once more and began to choke him with it. "I-I came to do my job, and I wanted to have a bit of fun!" With that, he grinned suddenly despite the fact that an angry demon butler was choking him and pointed to his mistletoe headband thinger. "Oh, Sebas-chan~" Grell sang. "You're standing under the mistletoe with me~ That means you and I have been fated to ki - "

He was silenced quite quickly via Sebastian's fist in his face, which resulted in Grell slumping to the floor in an unconscious heap.

The nice part of me felt really bad, but the other part of me thought it was fucking hilarious. Which I showed by snickering behind my hand, and laughing even harder when the absurdity of this entire situation really hit me in the face. I mean, I was at a Christmas party/my birthday bash in the mansion of a little British aristocrat who had a demon butler willing to serve him until he took his soul, and a gay Grim Reaper had just randomly showed up to try to make out with said demon butler.

Maybe it was the cookies and previous nerves talking, but isn't that just the funniest thing ever?

As I was laughing in a way that could be considerable of a high and/or drunk person, Sebastian took the mistletoe headband thing off of Grell's head and stared at it. "Aura, I have been meaning to ask this, but…why do humans have the tradition of mistletoe?"

I stopped laughing and smirked knowingly. "Oh ho, someone a bit curious about human holiday traditions?" When Sebastian just glared slightly at me, I sighed and racked my brain for the answer. "Well, I think because back in the old days, kissing under the mistletoe was like the only public sign of your soon engagement. I guess it just continued until now. Also, apparently if you put a swig under your pillow and dreamed of your crush, the next morning you were suppose to throw it into a fire. If it burned without a crackling noise, your future was supposed to be good. But if it did make that noise, then you and your crush would never have a happy love life."

"I would have never pegged you as someone with knowledge of romantic traditions," Sebastian replied in a slightly teasing tone.

"Shut up," I muttered, blushing furiously. And there goes my hatred for him, flaring up like a Yule log in a fire. Oh, holiday season jokes are so witty. "I had to do a project on it in fourth grade. I'm surprised I even still remember some of it."

The two of us were silent for awhile, just listening to the sound of the orchestra playing sweet music and the noise of laughter from the crowd, occasionally accompanied by Grell's sleepy murmurs of "My dear Sebas-chan," or even "Will…warm me up with your cold, cold embrace."

Finally, I said "If you ask me, it's stupid." I glowered at the red berry-laden evergreen plant crossly. "Basing your romantic outcome on a plant? Puh-leeze," I snorted. "That's almost as stupid as…well, a lot of other things. I don't believe in it. Not at all."

Suddenly I felt something on top of my head. My eyes widened as a swig of green vegetation followed by a single red berry bouncing on the end came down in-between my eyes. I stared at Sebastian, who was looking quite…devious. "What the hell are you doing?" I said slowly, wondering if I could grab a knife fast enough from the knife holder to use as a weapon, because he was starting to get WAAAAY too close for comfort.

"Testing to see if what you're telling me is true," Sebastian murmured as his hands suddenly were on either side of my shoulders, bracing me against the kitchen counter and leaving no room for escape. I wildly looked around for a weapon of any kind - even a sponge would do at this moment! - but there was nothing in my line of reach.

"W-what do you mean?" _Oh fuck, there goes my squeaky voice again._

"If basing your possible love life on a plant will work," Sebastian answered in a "DUH" tone, like I was a Neanderthal brought back to life from the frozen ice caps of Siberia or something. "You have got me curious, Miss Aura. Shall we test it?"

"W-wait…n-no, don't you dare Sebastian! I'll scream rape! Or fire! Or earthquake! Whichever one gets help first - DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME, YOU ARROGANT DEMON BASTARD!" Apparently struggling against a demon was a lost cause (as I kind of learned from Isolde), because it's not like it's going to work no matter what you do.

Which I found out the hard way, when Sebastian's smirking mouth crushed against mine.

And all because of that goddamn, motherfucking, retarded as hell, mistletoe.

**Yuki: DUN DUN DUUUUUUN. A cliffhanger! Oh look, what a lovely surprise. Aren't you guys filled with so much love and adoration for us now?**

**Hannah: Stop being a creeper, Yuki. -_-"**

**Yuki: But I enjoy it.**

**Hannah: Yes, that you do.**

**Yuki: ^_^ Anyway, please. We beg of you. Review this chapter. Make us feel loved. You all know it was pretty good, despite the problems/mistakes that are obviously woven throughout it. **

**Hannah: The next chapter will close this little filler arc and start out with the whole "Angela's going to fuck up Ciel's cinematic record" episodes. WHAT FUN THAT SHALL BE. **

**Yuki: Love you all~**


	23. That Girl, Pretending

**So…yeah. This is late. Really late.**

**But there's a reason for it, and we really are sorry.**

**You see, Hannah and I don't really feel it anymore when we're writing this story. It was fun at first, but now it's just…it's hard to explain. It doesn't feel like we're doing that well of a job anymore, and it's becoming too time consuming now. Frankly, Hannah enjoys being a Tumblr whore (that isn't derogatory towards her, she says it all the time!) more than she does helping to write this, and I enjoy writing my Hetalia story more than this.**

**So this chapter will be short because of our inability to get pumped up for this story. Updates may slow down due to that as well.**

**Please understand…and don't come after us with pitchforks. ;_;**

_**Chapter Twenty Two**_

My mind kind of spaced off in those brief moments that Sebastian's and my lips were connected, and I swear that all I really thought of was the Spongebob theme song. I don't know why, though. But then I started to realize just how…good it felt, the way Sebastian's arms were slowly slithering around my waist and the pressure of his mouth upon mine gave me tingly sensations up and down my spine. Apparently my brain didn't want to remember that I hated Sebastian (and loved him too, but that's besides the point right now. …even though we ARE lip-locking at the moment) because it was telling me to move my lips against his as to kiss the demon butler back, and you know what?

I did it.

By God, I kissed Sebastian like he was my air and I was going to die without him.

When we broke away, I was breathing heavily and my legs felt like they were going to fall out from beneath me and turn into jello. Sebastian had this odd expression on his face, one that kind of looked like he had just eaten and ice cream flavor he had never heard of before but had decided that he really liked it. I wanted to say something - anything - to end the awkward silence between the two of us, but I closed my mouth when Sebastian's hand suddenly slid the mistletoe headband off of my head and threw it on the counter. Looking into my eyes, he said in a husky tone, "Did it work?"

"Did what work?" I answered back in a low voice, momentarily forgetting everything else around me and just wanting to focus on Sebastian's eyes, face, and voice. I wanted to just focus on Sebastian, and Sebastian alone.

Sebastian chuckled slightly and removed all contact away from my body, leaving feel naked and vulnerable somehow. When I frowned (or scowled, most likely), the arrogant bastard let out another sharp laugh that made him smirk. "Did the mistletoe work at all, Miss Aura?" Sebastian replied with a more concise question than before, gesturing to the green plant on the counter with a nod, making me remember just why he had kissed me in the first place.

Too bad it kind of pissed me off that the kiss hadn't exactly been out of his free accord, and instead had only been to experiment.

Instead of blowing up in Sebastian's face like I really, really, really, REALLY wanted to at the moment, I swallowed to get rid of the dryness in my throat and said, "N-no, of course it didn't! Why the hell would I ever fall in love with someone like YOU, oh Mr. I'm Going To Devour Your Soul Now And I'm Obsessed With Cats? And like I said before, there's no freakin' way a PLANT would cause me to develop romantic feelings for you. It's all just one big hoax!"

I was going to pretend like this whole thing had never happened. Yeah, that would be the best way to go through with this. I wouldn't beat myself up over it, I wouldn't have to pine away in drifting whims about how nice the kiss had felt and how I wanted it to happen again, I wouldn't have the urge to punch Sebastian in his overly-sexy face…yep. I was going to act like this little scene had never taken place, and forget about the entire episode completely. Like I had gotten a lobotomy in the memory part of my brain! And, maybe if I was lucky, it was freak Sebastian out a bit, because I bet he would not be expecting me to pretend like I had forgotten about it all.

"If you truly believe so," Sebastian answered lightly, smiling innocuously at me. "then I suppose I won't further argue the issue. After all, when a female is angry with you, it's best to just leave them alone and assure that they are the voice of reason. Isn't that how you humans deal with these types of situations, Aura?"

…

_Must._

_Resist._

_Urge._

_To._

_PUNCH._

_HIM._

"I'm going to go get on another sugar high now since all you seem to do is patronize and act like I'm the lowliest of worms," I muttered angrily, pushing past Sebastian so I could get to the door to go back out into the foyer. I was trying really hard to ignore the inner thoughts and wants to just turn around and jump Sebastian so that I could kiss him back with way more force, but it was kind of hard to pretend like those thoughts weren't being thought in my mind. Especially when Sebastian suddenly appeared in front of me because he has mad ninja skills as a demon butler, and he grabbed my hand that had been reaching for the doorknob.

"Now, now, Miss Aura," Sebastian made a clicking sound with his tongue (that sounded somehow deathly sexy to my ears…please cease your silent judging of me) and waggled a finger in front of my face with the hand he wasn't using to hold my own hand with. Nodding his head over my shoulder, he said, "What do you suppose we do with the party crasher? If I remember correctly, the reaper said that he was here to do work, being that a guest was on his to die list. However, since he so rudely interrupted tonight's celebration, I believe there is some punishment to be handed out. What say you? After all, this is doubling as your birthday party as well."

"Kindly let go of me Mr. Michaelis," I answered sweetly in a fake British accent through gritted teeth, succeeding in refraining from saying what I really wanted him to hear. When Sebastian didn't move, I sighed in exasperated defeat and turned my head to look at the still unconscious Grell, muttering, "I guess we could throw him into a snow bank while he's still out cold. That would be amusing, right?"

Okay, yeah, I know I considered Grell as my best friend while here in this godforsaken time period, but if he hadn't shown up with his stupid mistletoe and demanded for Sebastian to make out hotly with him, I wouldn't be in this predicament at the moment. I would be still dancing with Sebastian and actually enjoying myself for once, instead of having the burning urge to disembowel him with a rubber chicken and a wet noodle covered in bug repellent.

This predicament, of course, being that I had just lip locked with my arch nemesis/evil demon bastard that I somehow managed to fall in love with.

"I believe that to be the perfect solution to our vermin infestation," Sebastian's teasing smirk turned into cruel sneer in an instant as he gazed upon the motionless, sleeping body of the Grim Reaper in front of us, Grell was drooling now, with a "raep face"-type expression, and he kept murmuring Sebastian's name. Frankly, it was a little bit terrifying, and I could see why Sebastian loathed poor Grell so strongly.

"So, are we going to wait until the party's over?" I asked cautiously, sensing that Sebastian was now thinking of some very disturbing things by the way his crimson eyes were glittering. "Because that would probably be best, so the guests don't flip out on us and Ciel doesn't get mad."

"If we wait until everyone has left, then it may be to late," Sebastian pointed out. "Grell may wake up and wreak more havoc than he already has. However, I suppose if you want to wait until then, I can just tell the young master it was your fault why a deranged reaper ruined tonight's festivity. You'll be fine with that, Aura, will you not?"

_Son of a - he just won't learn, will he? _"Are you trying to piss me off?" I asked calmly, finally managing to snatch my hand from his. It had gone numb practically, what with the tight grip Sebastian had. Plus I had to make sure no part of my body was in contact with Sebastian's, because it was sure to make me feel violated or get me thinking some very disconcerting things. Concerning the two of us. Doing stuff.

…Yeah, I'm shutting up now.

"Of course not," Sebastian answered, sounding hurt. I knew he was faking it, though. Sebastian Michaelis could be an actor if he lived in my time. I bet he would rival even Brad Pitt! And I could be his Angelina Jolie! And we would be the "Sebaura" couple, instead of "Brangelina."

…why the hell did I just make that comparison? I don't even really like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie's acting skills! Brad's hot, though, so he redeems himself in my eyes with that. Angelina's just a whore.

Again, why am I continuing with this mental compare and contrast thing?

Okay, brain, you can stop thinking now!

"I'm merely voicing my utmost concern," Sebastian added when I didn't comment on his answer. I had been too busy measuring up his standards to Brad Pitt's in my head, thus completely distracting me from whatever the conversation had been about previous to my mental distraction. "and in no way trying to anger you." When I still didn't answer him, mainly because I was wondering just how girls would react to Sebastian if he was in my time (they'd most likely fall down at his feet and be his personal harem), he continued in a humored tone, "I'm surprised, Miss Aura; I did not expect you to act as if you didn't even enjoy my kiss just a tad bit more. I was sure that you were responding back to it like you had found immense pleasure in it."

"…I have no idea what this 'kiss' you speak of is." I hoped I wasn't blushing like an idiotic schoolgirl at the moment. Suddenly, all of my internal sirens were going off. I didn't know why, but I did know that I wanted to get away from Sebastian. I wanted to be anywhere in the world at the moment, as long as he wasn't there with me. Figuring that my best bet was to run away with no explanation because Sebastian was probably used to my freak outs by now, I held my hands up in an innocent gesture and said in a heavily accented voice, "I no speak this country's language! Bye bye!"

With that, I raced out of the door and into the crowded foyer, up the stairs, and all the way to my room. I could still feel the stares of all those rich people on my back, and I knew I was going to catch hell for running away later, but I really could care less. For some reason, my body had just been screaming at me to get out from Sebastian's sight, and for once I was going to go with my instinct.

Leaning against the wall, I fanned my suddenly super-hot face and wondered just what the hell that had been about. I normally didn't get so flustered like that! I always hid my uncomfortableness with a few choice words since, you know, I was the residential teenage bitch. But just for some odd reason, I had needed to act like that. And I really didn't know why.

Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I walked over to the window and looked outside into the dark. The snow was falling again, and it looked really pretty, the way the moon's beams were making the snowflakes shine like little falling disco balls. The yard that I could see looked like a winter wonderland, and I could see a large canine creature loping through the snowdrifts with a small child-like figure on its back. I couldn't help but smile at the irony of a demon hound and a demon catgirl being friends (and possibly something more) and pressed my throbbing head against the cool glass of the window pane.

"I hope that when Sebastian throws Grell out, he's careful," I muttered, feeling really tired all of a sudden. All I wanted to do was sleep. Smiling dryly, I added, "Some birthday party slash Christmas party this has been for me. I didn't get to do my yearly tradition of thinking up tragic pasts for gingerbread men and then killing them in all sorts of horrific ways involving milk and me eating them. I didn't even get a present! And I refuse to count that little 'thing' in the kitchen between Sebastian and I as a gift." See, I wasn't even going to say the word "kiss," because for me it had never happened.

Thinking it didn't count. I could still think it.

"I'm going to bed," I decided finally, taking my hair out from its clip and shaking it about so it got back to its normal curly glory rather than its fancy curly glory. Slipping out of the dress and kicking my shoes off, I threw the articles of clothing onto the chair across from me and dived into my bed wearing nothing but my slip. It was chilly in the room, so I gathered up all the extra blankets and made myself into a blanket burrito so I could stay warm.

Shutting my eyes and bidding the empty and darkened room a silent good night, I fell asleep faster than a newborn baby could throw creamed corn at his/her babysitter.

**X~X~*~X~X**

The next day came, and I was surprised to learn that neither Ciel nor Sebastian was pissed with me for running out on my own party like I had. The manor was cleaned up and pretty much devoid of all signs of Christmas, so I supposed Sebastian had called upon his ninja demon butler skills to clean it up. And Grell was no where to be seen, so I figured he really had gotten thrown out. When I asked Bardroy and all the other servants why Ciel or Sebastian hadn't yelled at me yet, none of them could answer. Apparently those two had other things to worry about, rather than my rude lack of attendance until the end.

Which I realized when I was passing a random room (I was dressed in my actual clothes, just so you know, not walking around in just my slip like a dirty little whore) and heard Ciel talking with a familiar male voice. Stopping in my tracks, I leaned towards the door and listened to the conversation that was going on from within. Oh yeah, I totally have mastered the art of eavesdropping in the Phantomhive mansion. Worship me.

"Do you want us to eradicate the entire cult, then?" Ciel was asking slowly. "Or simply just disband it?"

"The choice is entirely up to you," The other male said. With a jolt I recognized it as that butler who wore white, the one who was attending the queen at the curry festival.

"Understood." That was Ciel, sounded resigned.

"Arf! Arf!" And that was Pluto barking, but he sounded like he was outside and barking into the window. My thought was confirmed when Pluto suddenly whimpered and the other butler guy said, "Who on earth was that?"

"Just a servant," Sebastian answered in a haughty yet dismissive way. "nothing more."

"An interesting sort of servant," The other guy commented.

"Before we continue with this conversation," Sebastian suddenly interrupted when Ciel was about to say something which surprised the crap out of me because as Ciel's butler Sebastian really shouldn't have been interrupting his master, "I feel the need to say this: Aura, you can stop eavesdropping and enter the room. You should hear this as well."

…_damn you and your super evolved hearing. _I bit my lip and sighed, opening the door to see Ciel, Sebastian, Tanaka (who probably wasn't even there for any particular reason - I was beginning to think of him as a fly) and that white-clad man sitting down and looking grave. Or businesslike. One or the other. Gulping under their scrutinizing gazes, I sheepishly said, "Uh…hi. I'm awake now."

"Aura, this is Ash Landers," Ciel said, gesturing to the guy with a nod of his head. "He is the queen's attendant and butler, and he has come here with a job for me, since I am a loyal patron to the queen."

"How do you do?" Ash took my hand and kissed it in a way of greeting, making me narrow my eyes at him. I didn't like the way it felt when he touched me. It made me feel dirty and gross. _Well, now that mysterious voice has a reason to call me "unclean." _I mused to myself sarcastically. I took my hand away from Ash and placed myself at Sebastian's side pointedly, hoping the creep would get the hint and stop staring at me with those weirdly purple eyes of his. Honestly, I never thought I'd say it, but I would rather have been in a room all alone with Sebastian than in a room with people in it while this Ash Landers guy stared at me.

"There is an abbey we must go visit near Preston," Ciel explained with a cough, causing me to pay attention to him instead. It was a welcome change of subject. "and apparently a cult is arising from a group of religious deviants. To keep the peace, Queen Victoria would like Sebastian and I to investigate it, being that there is a rumor going around that they may stage a coup to overthrow the local government."

"And what does this have to do with me?" I asked in genuine curiosity. Frankly, even though I had been raised primarily Catholic, I was never one for churches. I always felt uncomfortable in them.

"We figured you would want to go as well, being that the last time Sebastian and I were on an investigation, you got all frustrated because we didn't take you. And you know I cannot bear you when you whine and moan and carry on like you do when something doesn't go your way. You're worse than a child, Aura," Ciel pointed out.

I stuck my tongue out at Ciel and answered, "Well, maybe I don't want to go this time. I think I'd much rather stay here and have a German Sparkle Party all by myself. How's that sound?"

I could tell my answer had puzzled both Ciel and Sebastian, but Ash didn't look troubled. He got up and walked to the door, giving me a cheery smile while he did so. "Well, I had best be on my way back to Her Majesty now. I wish you the best of luck, Ciel Phantomhive, and I truly thank you for the service you give to the queen whenever she needs it. Fare thee well!" He waved and walked out of the door and out of the room.

Ciel turned to me and said, "Aura, is there something you're not telling us? Why you don't want to go? You can't possibly be that stubborn as to just not accompany us because you are holding some sort of a grudge against my butler and I…especially after last night's party." He didn't say "which you promptly left for no reason" but the implication was definitely in his tone of voice.

I couldn't necessarily say that it was because I was kinda-sorta scared of going into churches, could I? NO. Most certainly, I could not. So I stuck with this answer: "I just have had enough of the occult for awhile, and I want a little break for once. But you guys can have lots of fun without me."

Sebastian let out a short chuckle. "Haven't you realized by now that being on terms with the Phantomhives means that you will always be connected to the occult, Aura?"

Bastard had a point. Damn him for being so smart and practical.

I glowered at Sebastian and said, "Well, just for one day, leave me in peace. I've dealt with demon hounds, creepy killer doll men, a crazy ass demon who tried to kill me, and even a cult of my own in the past month. I've had enough, and I just want to do housework for once. Is that too much to ask?"

"What if this cult is related to the one who kidnapped you?" Ciel prompted. "Don't you want to find out what their reasons behind that was?"

"Not really, no," I yawned, pretending like this whole thing was utterly boring to me. "I'd rather just forget about it. Like a lot of things that have happened to me while I've been here. I want to forget about those things, too." I was, of course, referring to kiss Sebastian and I had shared. I was kind of suspicious as to why the demon butler hadn't brought it up yet to tease me about it, but I wasn't going to count my chickens before the slaughter, if you knew what I meant.

Neither Sebastian nor Ciel replied for a minute, and the only sound in the room was that of Tanaka's weak Santa laugh (hey, it was the Christmas season, he should go play Jolly Old Saint Nick for some kids at a Ye Olde Wal Mart or something). Finally, Ciel sighed in exasperation and stood up. "Have it your way, you finicky woman. Sebastian and I are going to head to the Undertaker's for some information before we leave for Preston. I estimate this inspection to take little over a couple of days, so do try not to miss us too much."

_The Undertaker…_ My eyes narrowed as my brain conjured up a memory of the constantly-giggling, silver-haired body preparer and that he had been the one to give me the address to the Paranormalcy Society. One part of me desperately wanted to visit him so maybe I could punch an answer or two out of his scarred face, but on the other hand the rest of me just really did want a break from the paranormal for a day or two. So, I kept my mouth shut and let Ciel and Sebastian walk out of the room, and then followed behind them. I figured I might as well go that way and actually try to get some housework done like a good little servant for once.

"Are you sure you'll be all right without either me or the young master in the mansion with you, Miss Aura?" Sebastian playfully asked, knowing full well that I could cope without them. Honestly, the way he looked down on humans - and me, especially - just really pissed me off. And yet I still really liked him. Go figure.

"Yes," I snapped, resisting the urge to flip him off the European way. Which was a backwards peace sign, by the way. My world history teacher taught me that freshman year. "I'm not a little baby, Sebastian. For once, just have faith in me that I won't burn the house down. Unlike Bard might."

"Is it safe to put you in charge of the house then while Sebastian and I are out, Aura?" Ciel asked cautiously.

"Yeah." I nodded solemnly. "I can be really scary and firm when I want to be. Especially with my awesome insults that I will most likely not follow through with, but they don't need to know that."

"I suppose that's a better answer than no answer than I can get out of you," Ciel sighed in response. He and Sebastian had reached the foyer and were now grabbing their winter coats and whatnot. "Tell the others where we have gone and what we're going to be doing," He told me once he and Sebastian were ready to go out. "We'll be back shortly."

And then he and Sebastian were gone.

I yawned and stretched my arms over my head, spinning around on the balls of my heels and preparing to head to the kitchen where I could get something to eat. As soon as I turned around, though, I was met with a very familiar pair of icy blue eyes. My eyes. Or, more specifically, Luna's eyes.

She was in her little catgirl form, and smirking at me knowingly. "What?" I grumbled, pushing past her. "What are you grinning at me like that for?"

"Oh, nothing," She sang back as an answer, following close behind me. "It's just nice that you're finally realizing your feelings for Dad, Mom."

_Brat. Luna is a brat. A big, egotistical, stubborn, mischievous little brat. _

"I don't know what you're talking about," I answered tenaciously, knowing that my face was betraying my answer with the way it was going red. "Besides, you have no right to talk to me in that tone, young lady! You abandoned me and haven't come to see me since I came back from my kidnapping! You've been flirting with that accursed hound, Pluto," I accused.

Luna's eyes instantly narrowed. "Don't diss my Lover Hound," She hissed, cat tail puffing out in agitation and ears flattening against her head.

_Shit,_ I thought, backing away slightly. _Why do I always seem to anger the demons? _I considered running away screaming as Luna advanced on me, tiny claws unsheathed as her hand moved towards me in a predatory manner. Just as I was about to think _Oh my God, my Mini Me cat girl is going to kill me! _Luna stopped and stared at me, causing me to stare back in confusion.

But then Luna laughed and pointed at me, grinning impishly and showing off her sharp little teeth. "Hah! I totally freaked you out, Mom! But seriously, don't make fun of Pluto, or I will claw your eyebrows off." The last part was added in a serious tone, and I really didn't want to argue with her. Sobering, she crossed her arms and gestured to the door with a toss of her head. "Are you serious, though? You really are going to stay back here instead of going with Dad and his master?"

I nodded. "Uh-huh. I'd like to stay out of that mess. Besides, I should probably be a good maid for once and clean. Or at least try."

"But if you go, I bet something will happen to make Dad like you~" Luna sang promiscuously while batting her eyelashes. "Maybe he'll even kiss you again if you get lucky!"

My cheeks flushed once more, and I sputtered out, "H-how did you know about that?" Oh, wait, I was going to act like it had never happened…fuck my life right now. Just fuck it.

"I'm a cat, Aura," Luna deadpanned in an obvious "Duh, stupid" way, rolling her eyes. "I'm like a freakin' ninja. I see everything that goes on."

"…you're like a creeper, that's what you are."

"Never mind that," Luna waved her hand in a dismissive way. "So are you going to follow them or what? I sometimes can sense things, and I'm getting this feeling that if you do go with Ciel and Dad to that convent place or whatever, something is going to happen that you're going to be very happy about. So seriously, why don't you go?"

I looked down, avoiding her quizzical gaze, and bit my lip as I thought of an answer. I eventually gave up on making one up off the top of my head, and went with the truth even though I knew Luna would pretty much never let me hear the end of it: "I'm…I kind of have an aversion towards churches. They've always made me feel uncomfortable and stuff. So…yeah. That's why I don't want to go."

I waited for the giggles, but they never came.

Looking back up, I was surprised to see Luna biting her lip too. "That's understandable, really," She replied after some thought. It felt like she knew something I didn't. But, since Luna was a supernatural being herself, she probably did. They all had their secrets; especially Sebastian. "Since your soul belongs to my dad - I mean Sebastian Michaelis. He's a demon; they aren't really on speaking terms with holy things, you know. Not God, and especially not his messengers, the angels."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that last one."

I don't really know where that answer came from. It just came out of my mouth before I had a chance to stop it. Which was really weird. It was like my mouth had just spoken for itself, and didn't give a damn about what I thought. And then to top that off, I got this peculiar feeling that maybe something was actually going to happen, and I might be reaping the benefits with a smile later on.

Suddenly I was at the front door, tugging my coat on as well as my boots. I really don't know how I got there so quickly without me realizing my feet were moving on their own. When I put my hand on the door handle to pull it open, Luna asked in confusion, "Hey, where are you going?"

I turned around and gave her a bit of a cheeky grin. "To follow the yellow brick road to Oz, of course!"

…that was a lie, I was really going to be a ninja and follow Ciel and Sebastian, but I like that movie.

So sue me for making a reference from it.

Actually, since it's copyrighted, I bet you can.

Moving on.

**Well, that turned about longer than I expected. And I think I was being a bit of a doom-and-gloom type of person in the beginning author note - we'll try to keep up our updates of every two weeks, but just understand that we do have other things to do and we can get writer's block just like that.**

**To answer some questions: no, we will most likely not be introducing Kuroshitsuji II characters because Hannah and I have only watched episode one of that, and we didn't really like the way it played. If we suck it up and watch more of it, we might put Alois and Claude and all those other characters into this story. Might. **

**Also, we may do a few manga arcs here and there, but only if we feel like it and we need something else to do. But that's a maybe as well.**

**Sorry if this chapter sucked - that's writer's block for you. And lack of inspiration. God, I hate it when that happens.**

**Thanks for all the reviews so far and we hope you guys at least found a couple of things enjoyable about this chapter!**

**Sincerely;**

**A very apologetic Yuki who is wishing for snow**


	24. That Girl, Sensing

***headdesks* This is so fucking late it's not even funny…I'M SORRY! I REALLY, TRULY AM! Other stories have been more fun to write, plus I've have more motivation and inspiration for them…sigh. The life of a fan fiction writer is a dramatic and dark one indeed.**

**Anyway. This chapter may suck. It may not. I really don't know. I'll try to make it not suckish, though. For your guys' sakes. Because I know you all probably hate my guts now.**

**IT'S HARD TO WRITE WHEN YOU GET DISTRACTED EVERY FIVE MINUTES. TTwTT**

**Anyway…I really hope this chapter makes up for the long gap between my update. We're entering the creepy church/Angela arc now, so be prepared for some serious shiz going down. And maybe an AuraXSebastian moment or two. And I'll also be skipping some of the scenes from the episodes because I'm lazy, but I most definitely will be doing the "Sebastian fucks a nun" scene. **

**Why?**

**Because it's funny as hell and makes me laugh every time I watch it. In fact, I'll put it in the next chapter to make the crappiness of this story just a bit more bearable.**

**I'm sorry about the shortness of this chapter, but I'm trying to finish before I go to my grandma's for Christmas.**

**I'll shut up now and get on with the story.**

_**Chapter Twenty Three**_

If there's one thing about being the residential demon crack of the Phantomhive manor has taught me, it is always to bring a bodyguard with you when you're out traveling the streets of London in search for the people you want to stalk slash tag along with. But, since I'm me, I made Luna stay home and went all by myself to catch up with Ciel and Sebastian. Which, frankly, was probably a really stupid idea, but it's not like you weren't expecting it by now. My mind works in wondrous ways.

"Gah…where's the freakin' Undertaker's place again?" I wondered out loud as I stomped through the slushy mixture of melting snow and trash. I was pretty far in the city, but of course being just an American teenage girl, I had no way of knowing where the hell I was going. _Maybe I should have gotten a map…or maybe I should ask for directions._

But then again, where was the fun in that?

"This is why GPS's were invented," I hissed under my breath, narrowly avoiding walking into a group of ladies with big poofy dresses. To be fair, they weren't looking where they were going either, so it wasn't exactly all my fault. "If I had one of those, I wouldn't be wandering the streets like an idiot. Oh, why couldn't I have been kidnapped and turned into magical demon crack sometime in the FUTURE? Instead of Victorian England? Ugh…I hate culture clash…and I'm hungry…and I don't remember where the goddamn Undertaker lives…"

I liked whining. It made me feel better.

I had been walking around this godforsaken city for at least an hour by now, and there was _still_ no sign of the Undertaker's business. I wasn't exactly the most patient person, so you can probably guess that my happy meter wasn't exactly on "fucking ray of sunshine" at the moment. Just as I was about to scream a variety of profanities at this little kid who was running past me because he was in my air and I really didn't want to deal with him, I realized something very important.

No, not the meaning of life. Although I will admit to that little piece of information would come in very handy at some point, I really wasn't that, er…wise, if you know what I mean.

No, what I realized was that I had somehow wandered into that creepy part of town that I remembered Luna dragging me into to find Ciel's Christmas present. And it was sort of familiar to me. So…that probably meant that I was somewhere near the Undertaker's place.

"Oh thank God!" I heaved a large sigh in relief. "I was going to go insane if I had to walk around lost for another five minutes!" Sure, I hadn't exactly reached my true destination yet, but I was close enough. That was what mattered the most. I really hoped this whole "checking out a freaky church place that is overrun by a bunch of occult members" thing was going to end well. I was going to be so pissed if I had wasted all this time catching up with Ciel and Sebastian and the only thing that came out of it was someone, like, dying. Or me being kidnapped again.

On the other hand, if what Luna had said earlier came true, and Sebastian and I were somehow to manage and share a moment…

Heh heh.

Call me bipolar, but I don't really think I'd mind that in the least.

…I really think I need an intervention or two…

ANYWAY. After a couple more minutes of walking around in the creepy part of London I had luckily somehow stumbled into, a certain high pitched squeal caught my ears. I would know that squeal - er, voice, - anywhere. How could I not? It plagued my dreams constantly. Well, the ones I have when they're involving Sebastian and I, because this particular individual is always chasing after Sebastian and trying to make me feel guilty for stealing him away…I DID NOT JUST ADMIT TO MY SOMETIMES HOT DREAMS BETWEEN ME AND THAT SEXY DEMONIC BEAST. NO. NOOOO. Oh God, why? I was _always_ going to keep that in the deep part of my brain, locked away in a chained box forever! Auuuugh…I'm going to actually get on with who the squeal belonged to now…while mentally having a self pity party for myself…

"Grell?" I cocked my head curiously towards the sound, my eyes landing on a recognizable building with the sign "Undertaker" hanging above the doorway. There was another girly squeal (actually, this time it was more of a screech), and I just kind of stared at the building in a deadpan manner.

Yep. That was totally Grell. And it sounded as if Sebastian was in there as well.

"Oh good God, he had better not have another one of those mistletoe headbands again," I swallowed nervously and went up to the door, raising my fist to knock on it. But then I realized that the door just so happened to belong to a business building, and knocking would be sort of pointless. So, I just barged in, expecting to see Sebastian being molested by Grell or something as equally shocking and/or just plain freakin' weird.

What I walked in on, however, was Grell dressed up in the Undertaker's black clothing and talking animatedly with wild hand gestures, the Undertaker's insanely giggling head sticking out from a pot full of…salt?…and Sebastian and Ciel looking harassed, annoying, rushed, and their usual negative facial expressions. When I marched in (probably looked a bit flustered and harassed myself, since my feet hurt from all the walking I did to get here) everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at me.

"Uh…hey, everybody!" I finally broke the awkward silence, giving a small wave. "I got lost on the road of life and somehow took a detour that led me here…hah hah hah…" I laughed nervously, not wanting them to figure out that I had actually given in to my human curiosity and decided to have followed Ciel and Sebastian.

"Aura?" Ciel asked, looking a bit shocked. "I thought you said you didn't want to come along with us."

"I don't!" I insisted. "I just said, I just happened to stumble upon this lovely heaven of, erm…coffins. Yes, I came here for the coffins."

"But you just said you got lost and that's how you came across this place," Ciel pointed out in an exasperated tone. Aw, I haven't even been talking to him for three minutes and I've already managed to annoy my adorable adoptive brother! Ciel is just so cute, he should be considered an illegal substance and then smuggled all across the country. Wait, never mind, that made him sound like a little boy prostitute-like thing. I don't want that happening.

"…so…"

"Aha, Miss Aura, isn't it~?" I looked over to see the Undertaker's creepy disembodied head in the salt pot grinning at me. A freakishly long tongue shot out of his mouth and he licked up some of the salt before continuing with, "Did you like my suggestion for the dear Earl Phantomhive's Christmas gift? I thought it was quite fitting, really~ I hope you had fun! Ahahahaha!"

"_**You…**_" I growled, feeling anger and rage rise up within me. Racing up to the salt pot, I grabbed at the man's long silver hair and began to pull at it angrily, shouting, "You son of a bitch! Because of your fucking directions, I got kidnapped by a bunch of crazies who wanted to purify me or something by killing me! And then this evil demon bitch almost killed me, too! HOW THE HELL WAS THAT A CHRISTMAS PRESENT? ANSWER ME, DAMMIT, BEFORE I FUCKING FEED YOUR SOUL TO SEBASTIAN!"

All the bastard had to say was this: "AHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, you're so funny, Miss Aura!"

Which, in all honesty, did nothing to improve my mood.

Turning to Sebastian, I snapped, "Why is he always so impossible? Does he do drugs or something? No sane person can take everything in a such a non-serious way like Undertaker does! And why haven't said anything, dammit? All you're doing is standing there and smirking! STOP LAUGHING AT ME, YOU BUTTMUNCH!"

At this, the Undertaker erupted into another stream of annoying raspy laughter, which made me even angrier. "Buttmunch!" He cried out - whoa, dude was actually crying from laughing so hard - head shaking from his powerful giggles. "Such a funny name! Buttmunch!"

"I really don't like this guy," I muttered in a growl.

"I have chosen to just stand by and watch silently because I do so enjoy watching the humiliation and pain on your face, Aura," Sebastian answered with a slight smirk. Damn him and his sexy smirks…there should be a law against that. "I must say it is quite entertaining."

"And what are you doing here, Grell?" I asked of the red haired reaper, ignoring Sebastian's remark. Otherwise I would probably blow up in anger over it. Me and my bipolar way of changing moods and emotions so quickly. "Just happened to drop by, or are you coming along to this church place as well?"

"I'm going along too," Grell proclaimed happily, latching onto Sebastian's arm with a dazzling smile. Sebastian glared down at him and shoved him off, which didn't affect the gay reaper. Grell just latched onto Sebastian's arm again, causing the demon to glower in annoyance and push him off with more force. This time Grell stayed off, much to my delight. "You see, some of our cinematic records have been stolen from the Reaper Library, and I've been assigned to figure out where they've gotten to."

"…the hell is a cinematic record? And you guys have a library?" I scrunched up my face in confusion. "What's in there? A bunch of Playboy magazines? I bet you have an entire shelf dedicated to something like Demon Poster Boy of the Month." Here Sebastian slapped a palm to his forehead whereas Ciel grinned ever-so-slightly. I was happy I had made him smile, even if it had been just a little bit.

"A cinematic record is what a reaper evaluates to see where the person to whom it belongs to goes - Heaven or Hell - and can be seen when they die," Grell explained smugly. Then he frowned and gave me an odd look. "Wait a moment, haven't Will and I already explained what cinematic records were to you, Aura?"

"…you did?" I pursed my lips as I racked my brain for the memory. Sure enough, it was there, albeit a bit dusty and cobwebby. "Oh, yeah, you did! Sorry Grell, my memory's been on the fritz ever since my kidnapping," here I glared at the Undertaker pointedly before going on, "but I know for a fact that you didn't mention this library of yours."

"It's where we store the cinematic records," Grell answered. "Only reapers are allowed in the library."

"We believe this sounds suspiciously like the judgment day books the occult has apparently got on hand," Ciel explained to me. "Therefore, we're allowed Grell to take along. He may be of some help to us, although that sounds like we're hoping for just a bit too much." He took out a pocket watch and looked at it. "We should be going now if we want to get to the abbey in time. Sebastian, Grell, Aura, let's get on with it. Oh, Undertaker…" Ciel turned to the head-in-pot with a determined gaze. "There is…something I need your help with. Will you come with us?"

"Of course, but you know my price~" The creep master chuckled, before looking at Grell for a short minute. "On second thought, I suppose I can do this one for free."

"I thought I said I wasn't going with you guys!" I protested, pointing at the Undertaker. "Especially if _he's _coming along too! I refuse to be within fifty feet of that asshole! …who I'm not even going to ask about why he's in a pot of salt at the moment, because frankly I really don't want to know the answer. But I'm not going with you, Ciel, and that's final." I crossed my arms stubbornly. "Remember, I'm in a state of being supernatural-free for the time you and Sebastian are off pleasing the queen."

"If you come along, I'll tell you why I sent you to the Paranormalcy Society, Miss Aura~" The Undertaker offered in a singsong voice.

"…" I looked from Grell (who was waving me on with a "Say yes, you dolt! So you and I can have lots of fun together while looking at Sebastian's firm ass!" expression), to Ciel, to Sebastian, and then finally to the Undertaker. Heaving a big sigh, I muttered, "Fine. I guess I'll go. But only for that, do you hear me? _Only_ for that…and you have to tell me now."

"Of course I'll tell you now~" He answered.

"The tell me, dammit."

"I sent you to the Paranormalcy Society because I thought it would be funny! Hee hee hee!" The Undertaker threw his head back and laughed insanely.

I just kind of stared at him for a little bit.

Then:

"I'm going to fucking drop you in a vat of toxic waste and then feed you to a bunch of rabid piranha sporks, you fucking son of a bitch."

"Ahahahaha~ Funny as ever, Miss Aura~"

**X~X~*~X~X**

So. After Undertaker had told me why he had sent me to the Paranormalcy Society, it was needless to say that I was pretty pissed and I refused to talk to anyone. But that also meant it was easy to get me to go along with anything, since I wasn't replying. So…yeah. I was unfortunately dragged along, even though the thought of going to an abbey really creeped me out. And being with the Undertaker - that was just going to put me in a dour mood. But I was mostly worried about the abbey.

…I have got to be the only person who is afraid of going into churches on this entire freaking planet.

Anyway. We road a horse drawn cart to the abbey that the Undertaker was pretending to haul coffins to. Actually, me, Ciel, Sebastian, and Grell all hid in the coffins, since we had to be secret ninja agents and sneak in. But somehow the guy at the gate knew that we were hiding (he probably saw us jump out and run to a bush), and he told us we were welcome. And then the Undertaker left, much to my relief, because his duty was apparently done.

Thus began the wonderful adventures of Aura Monray at the Preston Abbey of Death, Doom, and Most Likely Very Creepy Old Nuns.

Blah blah blah, insert boring explanation to a bunch of the officials about some crap where Ciel's going to be a new choir boy and the rest of us were new convents here…because frankly, I hadn't been paying attention to the conversation at all. I had mostly been worried about whether or not one of the angel statues built into the stone wall was going to come to life and kill me. Seriously, was I the only one who was getting a getting a very creepy feeling from this church? There was something unnatural about it, and it didn't feel right. At all.

Fast forward a bit to where the four of us were walking through this hallway, when three little boys dressed in these white and red uniforms that were probably the abbey's standard clothing for young kids ran up to us, all greeting us with a cheerful, "Good evening!"

"Beautiful day, wasn't it?" One asked. They were kinda cute…but not as cute as my precious Ciel.

"Aw, they're cute, aren't they, Aura?" Grell asked me with a grin. "I don't really do kids, though."

"I can sense every bit of your impurity, unclean one!" This one kid suddenly said to Grell as he ran up to the red haired man in a greeting.

"Pffft - they can sense your gayness, Grell! They have gaydars! Oh my God, that is awesome, I want one of these for a pet!" I doubled over laughing when Grell's face turned bright red with anger.

There was a thump as his fist connected with the top of the kid's head. "You brat! What right do you have to be calling me unclean?" Grell hissed, shoulders tensed.

"AHH! An unclean one touched me!"

"We need to be cleansed!"

The group of kids ran off crying, with Grell hot on their heels yelling, "Get back here, you brats! I'll teach you to call me unclean again!"

"Run, Forrest, run!" I called out after Grell, still giggling uncontrollably. Maybe I had caught the Undertaker's insanity and now found everything funny…but I'm sorry, that scene right there had been priceless. I'm completely serious about wanting one of those kids as a pet. Even though they were sort of creepy in a way. Just like the rest of the convent dwellers.

"Oh, newcomers!" Sebastian, Ciel, and I turned around to find a group of nuns walking up to us. All of them had bright and welcoming smiles on their faces, but for some reason I didn't feel as if they really reached their eyes. One nun stepped out of the group - she had a pretty face and red hair - and said, "We've come to show you to the church. All newcomers must be cleansed, and what better way than to going to Mass and listening to what the Lord has in store for us?" She giggled and added, "After the services, you will all be scrubbed down thoroughly, however. You can never be too careful; everyone from the outside is unclean."

"Oh great, here we go again, people pretty much implying that I don't take baths," I muttered, giving her the stink eye. I didn't like her. A lot. I felt like in the near future I was going to despise her even more. There was just something…_arrrrrgh _about her. Yes, _arrrrrgh. _It's a word. Look it up. In the dictionary of _Shut The Fuck Up, Aura Is Always Right._

"Except for you," One of the nuns grabbed Ciel's arm. "Since you're going to be a member of the heavenly choir, you must be purified at once. Come along now, dear boy - we shan't take long~"

"W-wait! Don't drag me, I can walk by myself! Hey, don't pull at my clothes, you - Sebastian! Tell them to stop!" Ciel protested as he was dragged down the corridor by the group of giggling girls.

"It's for your own good, young master," Sebastian answered airily. "After all, isn't this what you came here for?" Sebastian's voice was implying something more, even I could tell that. With a grin I realized he was talking about how Ciel promised to do everything in his power to get to the bottom of this occult, and going along with this purification thing was part of it.

Ciel stopped struggling and hung his head, obviously having gotten the message. "Bye, Ciel! I'll save you a spot in the pew for you!" I called after the poor kid as he slowly disappeared around a corner. Slumping my shoulders a bit, I turned to Sebastian and said, "Well, what now? Just wait or go have a looksie around? I don't know about you, but this place gives me the creeps. It feels like something about it is…off." I shuddered as a sudden chill wrapped around my body and refused to leave. "Then again, I am just a stupid human," I muttered in a dry tone with a wry smile. "What do I know?"

"No, actually…" I looked up at Sebastian's face, which was clouded in thought. Actually, now that I thought about it, we were alone. Together. In an empty corridor. …h'oshit. I am_ not_ looking forward to what may happen. "I believe I know what you mean. I am having the sensation as well." Sebastian looked down at me (damn our major differences in height!) and I was suddenly bombarded with tons of memories of us dancing together as I met with those amazing burgundy hued eyes.

And the kiss.

You couldn't forget about that kiss.

…even though I really wanted to.

"We should go find Grell and wait for Bocchan, and then head to the Mass services," Sebastian said, answering my previous inquiry. His mouth quirked up in a grimly amused smile, and he added, "I must say…the thought of a demon attending a Mass service in an abbey that appears as holy as this one is quite the ironic situation, is it not?"

"And let's not forget little miss residential demon crack over here," I pointed out jokingly. "Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll burst into flames as soon as they start reading the Bible, and then I'll finally be done with this whole mess. It sure as hell would be a relief to me."

"I'd not cast wishes around so easily, Aura," Sebastian warned me with eyes that were gleaming in an odd way. They were possessive, almost. As if the thought of me dying made him really mad. But that was probably just either a trick of the light or the inner part of me who really wants to believe that deep, deep, deep, DEEP down Sebastian actually cares for me somehow. "You never know when they might come true."

"Y-Yeah…right…" I answered with a shaky nod. My weird feeling was here again, and it had appeared exactly like a punch in the gut. It was just like at the mansion where Drocell had kidnapped Lizzie. I was really beginning to think that everything in this world was connected in some crazy way or another…somehow.

Or maybe I'm just going insane. Frankly, with all the shit that's been happening to me, I really wouldn't be surprised if I was.

…***slowly begins to eat poison* I…am so sorry…that I fail at writing this story now. I've decided that this is what I need to do:**

**Sit down, think long and hard about how I want to go through with this, and then write the goddamn next chapter in an actually entertaining way. **

**Tell you guys what - the next chapter of MSTS will be long, productive, enjoyable, interesting, and a helluva lot more adjectives. If it takes me two fucking months to make it, so be it. I owe it to all of you for sticking with me so far, and I feel so horrible about not being able to find the ability to really write this fanfiction anymore.**

**Hate me. Despise me. Yell at me. Please, I beg you, anything that will get me out of this rut. I honestly don't know why I can't find the motivation anymore. I swear, I'm trying! It's just…not there.**

**Wow, I sound like such a whiney bitch…ugh, I hate this. Writer's block is just awful. It sucks the life out of it. -_-**

**I really hope you guys have a good Christmas. You all deserve it for putting up with my me-ness. **

**Maybe Santa will bestow upon me the gift of inspiration?**

**One can only hope…**


	25. That Girl, Infuriated

***slowly rises from the dead***

**Haha…h-hey guys…I'm alive…**

**I'M SO SORRY FOR THE WAIT. It's just that…every time I clicked on a new document, I didn't have the urge to write this story anymore and ended up making some obscure oneshot or something. And then I slowly began to feel really guilty and…yeah. I'm sorry…**

**As I promised, though, I'm going to make sure this chapter is at least over six pages to make it long, and it shall be amazing. Because I'm putting the nun thing in here. God, I cannot stop watching that scene when I'm bored, it makes me laugh so hard! HOW IS SEBASTIAN DOING HER IF HE HAS HIS PANTS STILL ON? DOES HE JUST UNZIP THEM AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GO AT IT?**

**Yes, I have thought it through that much. I'm a fucking perv. :3**

**Oh, by the way, (this is really late OTL") happy 2012 and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I got a shirt with Sebastian in a pink cow suit for it, and I wore it to church the other day and people were staring, and I started to think, "Oh my God, they know I'm wearing a demon to church." And then, because I'm twisted like that, I started giggling uncontrollably and had to go to the bathroom to let it all out. I call it my Sebby-Cow Shirt. :3 I adore it. IT'S SO CUTE BECAUSE IT'S SEBASTIAN IN A **_**PINK COW SUIT.**_

**Also, my birthday is January 22. Yay~**

**Anyway…thank you, guys, for the kind words and over 400 reviews. They made me glad to see that you all didn't think this story had gone down the crapper. **

**I hope this chapter makes up for all the shit I've put you guys through!**

_**Chapter Twenty Four**_

Me, Sebastian, Ciel, and Grell were all sitting in the church. Every pew was filled practically to the brim, and the atmosphere was quiet and stiff. Us four were sitting in the very back, so as to not arouse suspicion. Oh yeah - Ciel and Grell met Sebastian and I when we were trying to find the church. The reaper was done terrorizing the poor kids who had called him unclean and Ciel had escaped from being "molested" (his words, not mine!) by the creepy old church ladies.

Did I mention that Sebastian had kinda-sorta hit on a nun, too?

No?

Oh. Well…he did. The same pretty one that I felt immediate hatred for as soon as I saw her. Sebastian said some…stuff…that could be taken in a flirtatious way…and the nun had gotten all red…and I had gotten pissed…and maybe, um…grabbed him by the hand and yanked him away from the red-haired bitch before anything really transpired.

I think I've mentioned this before, but red heads really seem to have a thing for Sebastian. Or maybe it was the other way around. I don't really know.

ANYWAY. Want to hear how that little episode happened? I bet you do. Because I'm still fuming about it as I sit in this hard as a rock pew trying to ignore Grell clinging to _my_ Sebastian - I mean…fuck it, _my Sebastian_ - and babbling on about something really unimportant and await for the mass to begin. Which, by the way, my Spidey Senses were still tingling about. I didn't know why, but I just felt like something bad was going to happen…and it wasn't just because I was afraid of churches.

***INSERT EPICALLY AWESOME FLASHBACK HERE***

"Oh~ A-ah! OH! I-I see them! I see them! I see the kings of Heaven! A-AHH~" The passionate moan filled the air, cutting the dead silence, full of lust and pleasure.

It just pissed me off.

"_That…little…bitch…_" I growled angrily, biting my fist to keep myself from going on a rampage and destroying everything in my path. Grell was doing the same, only he was freaking out more openly (read: he was flailing rapidly and fuming so badly that steam was literally coming from his ears) and Ciel was just holding his head in his hands.

"OH~ M-Mr. Michaelis, y-you…a-aaaah~" As another moan pierced the sky, the urge to slice open a baby pig and rip out all its internal organs and then flay it for bacon hit me, and it was really hard to grab Grell and use him for that instead.

And now I have a craving for bacon. Wonderful.

"OH, LORD JESUS, YEEEES~"

That did it.

"SEBASTIAN, I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU FOR THIS," I finally snapped, hitting my head against the pole of the sign that was next to me. It gave me much needed relief from the bent up tension I had slowly building up in my system. "HOW DARE YOU FUCK A NUN?"

Ciel, Grell, and I were standing outside one of the abbey's horse barns, wherein Sebastian and that nun girl were…well…fucking. Because apparently, when a demon wants information about a certain cult that is running an abbey with books that just may possibly belong to a bunch of grim reapers and contain all the details of somebody's life, he picks a sister who lives at said abbey to give her a good screwing, and then she will give him said information said demon wants.

"Honestly, could he have found a more crude way to get the things we need?" Ciel muttered to himself, slowly scooting farther and farther away from Grell and I. "And what is up with you two? Having a seizure or something?"

"MY DARLING BASSY IS GIVING HIS LOVE TO ANOTHER WOMAN!" Grell sobbed, flopping to the ground and sobbing. "W-why…why don't _I_ get to experience his sexual prowess for myself? M-my dreams aren't enough…I need _reality_ to deliver it to me too!"

My eye twitched and I halted in my head-poling so I could say something to that slightly disturbing bit of dialogue, but then Ciel cut me off with, "Aura, why would _you_ be reacting this way? It couldn't be that you…_fancy_ my butler, could it?"

…the little brat was smirking like he knew every fucking thing in the world. Including my secret crush on Sebastian.

My face heated up a bright red and I snapped, "W-why the hell would you think that? I despise Sebastian! I utterly loathe and abominate him! Completely the opposite of what you think! I-I just don't think it's right, is all…him performing coitus with a nun when he's a freaking demon to get this information about the abbey and the Doomsday Books…Y-yeah, that's it."

Ciel looked at me with an unimpressed eyebrow lift. "…really…"

"Y-yeah! Really!" I insisted, becoming flustered. How dare Ciel see right through me? He couldn't learn that I was actually pretty much hopelessly in love with Sebastian! That would be my downfall!

"I hate to interrupt," Grell interrupted, pointing frantically at the barn. "but I don't hear anything. …could Sebas-chan be done with that girl? Can we go in there now? I have to make sure my love's heart still beats for me and me alone!"

"I don't think the bastard has a heart, Grell," I muttered angrily, feeling a new wave of pissed off-ness filling me to the very core of my being. I was going to ignore Sebastian for the entire fucking trip after this. I couldn't believe that he had resorted to _SEX_ as a way to gain information! That was just…disgusting! Immoral! …well, this is a demon we're talking about…but still.

…and I felt really hurt, too. To tell the truth, I…I had sort of wanted to be the girl to experience that with Sebastian. Oh shit, I can't believe I just admitted that…but it's true. I really did like Sebastian, despite all the things I hated about him, and because of that I couldn't help but think silly romantic notions about him. Such as…you know…him making love to me…

…I'm shutting the fuck up now.

Anyway, Ciel and Grell and I decided that with the absence of Miss I'm A Pure and Chaste Nun Please Fuck Me Now Sebastian Michaelis's (or Slutty Bitch for short) impassioned moans and various other sex sounds, it was safe to enter the barn. Which was all hot and stuffy and, even though it sickened me to think it, probably covered in some stuff now that I _really_ didn't want to think about.

When we got in there, the nun girl was plaiting her hair nervously and smiling at Sebastian with a flushed face. She had her clothes on but they were all messed up and covered with bits and pieces of straw. Sebastian was composed and calm as always, looking just _dashing _in his sleek black butler suit as he sat on top of the pile of hay.

Looking at the state of how things were and the really odd atmosphere that filled the barn, I couldn't help it. I had to say something. I knew it was uncalled for and I knew that Sebastian had only done the chick for information about the abbey (well, at least I hoped that was the only reason why) and that I was just being a bitch, but hey. I'm Aura fucking Monray, people. We all know I'm a major bitch by now. Especially when Sebastian is involved.

"Ewww…it smells like _slut _in here!"

Cue two exasperated face palms from Ciel and Sebastian, a confused smile from Slutty Bitch, and a high five from the cheering Grell.

Oh yeah. I'm good.

***END OF EPICALLY AWESOME FLASHBACK***

So yeah, as you can probably guess, after that little scenario I was quite pissed. And refusing to talk to Sebastian. And pretty much anyone else. It…it just wasn't fair. Why did I have to have feelings for a demon as heartless and cruel as Sebastian? Never mind those few times where he had actually been kind to me. I knew he had some sort of other motivation for that.

Oh, the information that Slutty Bitch told us? Basically, it boiled down to this: The Book of Doomsday will become dirty if it's filled with people who live for a long time. The priest of this abbey has the single ability to purify "parts of the filth." Add to that little creepy fact, these books can record not just the past, but the future along with it. Only the "chosen children of heaven's choir" can tell the future, however. Which led us to believe that Ciel was in for a real treat soon.

I yawned loudly as we waited for mass to begin. Now I remembered another reason why I hated being in churches - it was so boring and too awkward. It felt like a crime if you even coughed in here. Just as I was about to ask Ciel if he would want to arm wrestle to pass the time (I was trying really hard to pretend like I couldn't see Grell snuggling up against Sebastian or even that Sebastian himself was present) the loud sound of an organ blaring cut me off.

Looking over to where the sound was coming from, I noticed that one of the abbey women was sitting on a small stool by the instrument, playing along with the harmonic singing of the choir. A white robed figure flanked by four others in black walked forward. The man in white hid his face behind a large hood. He strode to the alter, taking his place behind it. For some reason, I immediately thought of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and couldn't resist giggling softly in a crappy French accent, "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries!"

Ciel gave me a "WTF are you on?" look and Grell just kind of laughed uncertainly. Sebastian, however, looked me straight in the eyes and I suddenly felt as if I was completely naked in front of him. Averting my eyes quickly, I looked down and gripped the hem of my maid dress thing tightly. _Damn him for having such a seductive gaze…_

"Tonight, the unclean will be made pure again. It is time for the cleansing." I looked up from the floor to the guy in white. For some reason, at the sound of his voice, I felt sick to my stomach.

I wanted to get the hell out of here and never come back.

Ciel, noticing my paleness presumably, whispered, "Aura? Are you alright?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "I think so…just really hot all of a sudden."

"Forgive me, that must be my fault." I stared blankly at Sebastian, face flushing and turning to a color that was like a hybrid of a lobster and a tomato. _Did the asshole really just say that? …dear God, I think he did. …WHAT THE FUCK?_ Sebastian just smirked at me and gave me a knowing look. I resisted the urge to either sock him in that perfect face of his or jumping him right then and there to make out passionately with him. Grell, of course, got a major nosebleed and was kind of letting it gush out all over as he stared at Sebastian with pure fucking adoration in his eyes. Sebastian just pushed him away in disgust and then gave me another look, this time accompanied by a wink. Which, in turn, made those "punch him/kiss him" urges become even stronger.

And no, the unfortunate events of the mistletoe circumstance have not evaded my memory yet. Sadly.

Two of the people who had followed the priest stepped forward. The two others walked after them, carefully removing their robes from behind and handing them off to alter servers. The two who had been disrobed, one man and one women, stood with their bare backs facing the crowd. The symbol that was engraved in the circular glass window above their heads was also engraved into the skin of their backs. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Ciel's expression turned stony as soon as he saw that particular insignia. I wondered what that was about.

The two people knelt down and did the whole clasping their hands together to pray thing and the priest dude (well, I assumed he was the priest) turned to one of the altar servers who brought him two leather books.

"I suppose those are cinematic records," Sebastian commented. I refused to look over at him, instead concentrating on a very interesting spider web up in the balcony above us. I wonder if Charlotte could write me a message for Sebastian saying something like "You are an ass". That would be nice.

"I'm too far away to tell," Grell sighed as he snuggled more into Sebastian. …yes, I looked. _Dammit, Grell, stop betraying me!_

The priest guy took one of the books and flipped through it until he found a certain page. "I shall read the Doomsday Books of these impure, lost, children," He explained in an almost depressed tone. "First: Jill Pheasant. The second daughter of a farmer, she conceived a child at fifteen…and in sin."

The woman who was naked and kneeling in front of the altar started to shake and whimper. For some reason, I wanted to run up there and smack the priest with an iron fist.

The priest ignored the shivering woman and continued. "Then, we have Thomas Atkins. He has committed no evil deeds per se, but he has spent his life meaninglessly. That is a grave sin."

Now both the man and the woman began to shake violently, creepy columns of dark smoke seeping from their bodies. I watched in horrified awe as they began to groan and convulse, silent yells and sobs unable to come forth from their mouths. Everyone except for me, Ciel, Grell, and Sebastian (see, I hate him so much right now I list him last1) were watching with bowed heads and their hands clasped in prayer. A bright light began to shine from the stained glass window with the angel painted on it and I felt Ciel flinch back in what I presumed was shock. I flinched as well, for some reason. I…didn't really like the way that made the angel look. I didn't even like the way the angel had looked in the first place. I really didn't know why, though, other than the fact that I was in love with a demon and probably not on an angel's good girl list at the moment.

Suddenly, an image of a young, pretty, girl with a tummy that was definitely preggo shimmered before all of us. Almost as soon as it appeared, it faded to a picture of a young man sitting contently by a running brook with a fishing pole in hand. Everyone in the church was staring reverently at the scene in front of them, save for me and my group. We were all just kind of staring at it with "WTF" faces. Mostly me, I think, since I'm the only one here who even knows what a "WTF" face looks like.

"Snuff out the unclean, and the unwanted, and the unnecessary," The creepy priest dude began to chant, raising his arms above his head. "Snuff them out, all of them!" _Jesus Christ,_ I thought, most likely sacrilegiously since I was in a church, _that saying is fucking EVERYWHERE. I just can't escape it, can I?_

The images faded just as quickly as they had appeared when the stained glass window suddenly shattered into dozens of glittering shards, making it look like it was raining crystals inside the church. The two naked people started to writhe and scream in agony, and my heart stopped for a minute. Something was bubbling up inside me…something like intense anger. I didn't like this. I didn't like this at all.

_**Someone is tampering with their very souls.**_

I drew back, alarmed at the dark and ominous voice that had suddenly flashed across my mind. My entire body was shaking, and my hands felt clammy and cold even though they were sweating profusely. I tried rubbing them off on Ciel's back, but I couldn't even move that short distance. Panic gripped at my very being, and I tried to open my mouth to talk. Nothing was working - not my mouth, not my arms, not my legs…nothing.

_**Watch and remember this, Aura. This may happen to you. If you continue to feel the way you do about that demon abhorrence near you, this **_**will**_** happen to you. And you don't want that, do you?**_

Now I was pissed.

_Get the fuck out of my head!_ I screeched mentally in an angry tone. _And do _not_ patronize me about my feelings for Sebastian! I can handle them on my own!_

The voice chuckled._**You will regret this choice. I simply wanted to help you. But then again…you humans have always been like this, from the moment your pitiful race began. You disgust me.**_

Suddenly I didn't feel as sick or heavy as I did before, and I found myself snarling irately, "Oh yeah? Well, _you _disgust _me_, you fucking bastard!"

Everyone stared at me, my supernatural clique included. Then the reality of what I had just done - cuss majorly to no one in particular in a freaking CHURCH - hit me and I blushed hotly. "Miss Aura," Sebastian hissed in an annoyed tone, glaring at me with his anger-eyes. "what on earth are you going on about - "

But then everything went black, and I found myself falling into that familiar shadowy abyss known as unconsciousness.

_Well, hello there, mind. We meet again._

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Something fishy is going on here…those books that that old priest man had? They were definitely not cinematic records."

"So…he doesn't have the power to see into the future or past, then?"

My head felt heavy. So did my eyelids. And the rest of my body. I just wanted to sleep some more. But something was tugging at the back of my mind…I had a job to do, didn't I?

"…Aura. Wake up."

_No._

"I know you are at least conscious enough to hear me, Aura."

_And I know you're a big asshole, Sebastian._

"You're just being childish by ignoring me. You have some explaining to do after that humiliating outburst during the mass ceremony."

_I'm not talking to you~ I can't hear you~ You do not exist for me~ Lalalala~_

"For the love of God, Aura, just open your eyes and speak to us."

"…should a demon be using God's name in vain like that?" I cracked one eye open to stare at Sebastian in an amused way. But then I realized something - I was…I was…

Holy shit.

My head was fucking resting in Sebastian's lap. The rest of my body was lying out on the pew. But my head was in Sebastian's lap. I repeat: _my head was in Sebastian's fucking LAP._

"HOLY MOTHER OF EVERYTHING CHOCOLATE AND HOLY, WHY AM I IN YOUR LAP?" I shrieked, flailing wildly and leaping up to get away from him. Only I kind of failed epically and somehow managed to fall down flat on my face because I tripped over air, and I was greeted with three distinct voices thoroughly laughing their asses off at me.

I growled dangerously deep in my throat and looked up, glaring at Ciel, Grell, and Sebastian (See? Still listing him very last because I hate his guts still) with pissed off eyes. "Stop laughing, dammit!" I snarled, flipping all three of them off. "It's very unsettling to wake up with your head in a bastard's lap after having witnessed something as fucked up as whatever the hell we just did, which causes you to pass out - hey, where is everyone?" I cut myself off and looked around in the church. We were alone.

"After your outburst and you blacked out, the congregation dispersed. They are demanding for you and I to be cleansed, by the way," Ciel explained, looking like he would rather make out with Lizzie. …actually, I would rather him do that as well. "since I escaped from it initially and you had to ruin your image with that…seizure."

"It was not a seizure," I protested indignantly. "I was yelling at the fucked up voice inside my head!"

"…that's a bit worse than a seizure, darling," Grell snickered into his hand. "At least a seizure is something you can blame on a physical issue…but hearing voices in your head?"

"Sh-shut up! I really did! And it's happened more than once!"

"Voices, you say?" Sebastian asked incredulously. I turned to snap at him but remembered I wasn't talking to him since I was still pissed about the whole "I am going to see if having sex with a nun will get me what I need! Oh look, it did~" thing, so I just kept my mouth shut and glowered at him with what I hoped was pure hatred in my eyes. Since I wasn't saying anything else, Sebastian continued, "And you have heard them more than once? …just what are you saying, Aura?"

"I'm saying that on occasion a very creepy voice talks to me in my head," I answered, then hit myself for answering him. _Why the hell is it so hard to ignore the British demon sex god that is Sebastian Michaelis…? GAH, WHY DID I JUST REFER TO HIM AS THAT? …I hate that I love you like this, you bastard son of a bitch. _

"That's a bit unnerving," Ciel commented. "Do we need to check you into a mental institution?"

"NO! I'M NOT GOING INSANE, DAMMIT!"

"That's what they all say before they go on a mass murdering spree and kill all the ugly women they can find~" Grell sang.

"Aura, I want you to tell me what this voice of yours said," Sebastian's stern tone made me want to listen for once and ignore Ciel and Grell. Even though I really didn't want to listen, it was hard not to. His voice was really…it had a lot of compulsion in it to me. Like he was the charmer, and I was the cruel viper. Oh, how I wish I had the actual venom of a snake…

I stared Sebastian down for a full minute before finally giving in to defeat and sighing. "…fine…basically whenever I hear this voice, it always…um…warns me."

"Warns you? About what?"

I didn't want to tell him. I didn't want him to be mad at me. Well, more than he probably always was. Because, you know, Sebastian is one hell of a butler, and so he can't be bothered with the likes of a stupid human like me. I looked down and mumbled quietly, "It warns me about you."

Sebastian was silent for a bit. Then, turning to Grell and Ciel, he said, "Young master…abomination. Would you mind stepping out for a few minutes so I can talk to Miss Aura alone?"

Grell looked like he wanted to protest, but Ciel grabbed him by the collar and began to drag him out of the church. I was surprised that Ciel had obeyed, being that the command had come from his butler of all people, but maybe he listened because Sebastian hardly ever asked for anything. When Ciel and Grell were gone, Sebastian smiled pleasantly at me and I felt the blood rush to my face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked suspiciously. "As if I haven't had enough freaky shit happen to me today without you grinning at me like a creeper?"

"A voice in your head warned you about me, did it?" Sebastian chuckled, placing his hands on my shoulders. Instantly a flush spread through my body and my mind instantly reeled back to that fateful Christmas party when Sebastian and I were dancing. And…uh…the whole kiss thing…dammit, why can't I forget about that already?

"Sebastian…" I warned. "Don't get any funny ideas…we're in a church. I'm pretty damn sure that if you try anything, God will smite you down with his holy lightning and…stuff…" I trailed off as Sebastian smirked and pulled me closer to him. "S-stop invading my personal bubble!" I demanded when he placed a hand under my chin and tilted my head up closer towards to him. A thought suddenly shot across my mind, one that freaked the hell out of me because it would most likely turn out to be true.

_O-oh God, he's gonna kiss me again._

And I was probably going to enjoy it. Again. Dammit.

"I don't know quite exactly what this voice of yours has told you," Sebastian said in a low and husky tone, so close that I could feel his hot breath on my face. His burgundy eyes pierced right into my ice blue ones. "but I do know this." His other hand slipped down to my waist and wrapped around it possessively, pulling me even closer to him. My body and brain were going into hyper drive right about now, but I couldn't do anything. I was frozen, a puppet whose strings were being pulled by Sebastian Michaelis. Said puppet master's lips were suddenly mere millimeters from mine, and he whispered in an amused tone,

"I'm one hell of a butler, and you shouldn't believe everything a voice in your mind says."

And of course, because life is fucking Switzerland and it can't decide whether it wants to love me or hate me, the arrogant demon bastard's lips connected with mine for the second time.

**HAHA, GOT TO SIX PAGES! FUCK YEAH! *fist pumps* **

**The next chapter will finally start all the drama with Angela, I just didn't feel like writing it in this one. I had enough problems getting this one done in the first place, and I wanted to stop when I felt like it was necessary.**

**So~ You all want more SebastianXAura action, ja? :3 Don't worry - there will be plenty of it the beginning of the next chapter. Since I was being a cock block and cut it off right at the last second. Teehee. I'm evil.**

**I LIKE MY CLIFFHANGERS. THEY GIVE ME JOY AND PURPOSE IN LIFE.**

**Thank you for reading, and I hope this chapter was entertaining. I know I had fun writing it. Getting in the mindset of Aura is always amusing. Because she is such a rude, blunt, hilarious bitch.**

**Review as a birthday present~?**


	26. Intermission: Aura In Wonderland

**Okay. I know this is late. Like, super duper late. I should be shot in the knee with an arrow a million times. BUT I HAVE AN EXCUSE THAT'S LEGITIMATE.**

**You see…my laptop broke about a month ago, and I haven't really had the chance to write anything except on the family desktop that's shared by everyone…it was awful. SO. FUCKING. AWFUL.**

**But I have good news. AT LAST, my dad's old laptop from like 2005 has been fixed up for me, and I are writing this on it right now. :D I miss my other one, but I'm not going to complain with this. I'm just happy I finally have a laptop again…**

**Anyway. I kinda have major writer's block for this story. So I decided that rather than make a crappy chapter that actually goes with the plot, I'd do an omake for the fun of it. Familiarize myself with Aura again, and how to write for this particular fanfic. I hope you guys are all right with that. I think you'll enjoy it.**

**Why?**

**BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE AN ALICE IN WONDERLAND PARODY, BITCHES. WHO GIVES A SHIT IF THEY'RE OVERUSED? THEY ARE SO FUCKING FUN AND AWESOME AND STUFF.**

**Besides…I'll put romance in here since of the way I left off in the last chapter~**

**And yes, I know there's an OVA of Black Butler that's a spin off on Alice and Wonderland. To tell the truth, I've never watched it. So if this is similar to it in anyway, it's completely coincidental. The only OVA I've watched is the "Welcome to the Phantomhives" one and I'm pretty sure I already had a rant about that awhile back. Goddamn that OVA is amazing.**

**But yeah. I really am sorry for the long wait. I could have started something on the desktop but to be honest? I was being lazy. ****K Can you blame me? We all have those moments!**

**I'll shut up now and start this. I'll probably add more omakes like this periodically, so look forward to them. **

**ENJOY~**

Aura In Wonderland

_And I thought being demon crack was the least of my problems._

I stared around me in irate dismay, left eye twitching every ten seconds or so as my surroundings slowly began to make their way from my retinas to my brain. This could not be happening. It just couldn't. I was really going to kill a bitch if this wasn't just a dream. Because I don't think I can handle much more of being thrown into different worlds as opposed to my good ol' 2012. With my computers…and my cell phones…and my laptops…and my televisions…and my GODDAMN BACON.

Honestly, was it so hard to ask for bacon every once and awhile? Apparently.

Oh yeah. I should explain.

See, I was just doing my duty as a Phantomhive servant - which I normally don't do, so I think I deserve some credit - when all of a sudden that damned demon hound decided it would be funny to chase me around the house while he was in his sexy naked human form. Never mind the fact that my daughter/sister Luna the half demon cat and he were…er…dating…

Anyway. Pluto managed to chase me all the way outside while I was screaming profanities at him as usual, and no one had come to my rescue. As usual. Well, when the stupid mutt had gotten me outside, I kinda forgot that there was snow all over the ground and somehow managed to trip and fall in a snow drift in the back of the mansion.

And that was the start of my problems.

For as soon as I tripped in the yard, I somehow managed to fall down a motherfucking hole, and the fall was very long. _Very. Long._

And it involved a bunch of different objects defying gravity and floating around me as I fell. A teacup even smacked me in the face at one point. Now I had a circular bruise on my forehead. I probably looked like an idiot.

And now I was standing in the middle of the forest with no freaking clue as to where the hell I was, even though I kind of had an idea of where it was. Oh, and for some reason my usual maid outfit dress thingy that I didn't really like was gone and replaced with a blue dress with a white apron…

Just like Alice.

"…Oh, fuck," I muttered, hitting my head against the trunk of a tree and groaning. "Please don't tell me that not only I've been taken to Wonderland, but I'm now Alice instead of demon crack…I don't wanna be Alice! I wanna be Aura Monray, demon crack extraordinaire! SEBASTIAN, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?"

And of course, no one answered.

"…I'm going to sign a contract against being poofed into different fictional worlds from now on," I mumbled, glaring up at the sky. "If I'm put in the Pokemon world, I'm gonna kill a bitch! Most likely Ash, since he's an annoying retard. And then I'll steal his Pikachu. And then I'll take over Team Rocket. And then I shall rule the world. And have a harem…okay, yes, I would like the next world I'm transported in to be Pokemon."

And just when I thought my life couldn't get any suckier, low and behold a familiar condescending tone from behind me went, "Well, well…it seems I was not the only one to stumble upon that interesting chasm in the yard now, was I?"

I slowly turned around, my ice blue eyes blazing with pissed off-ness. "Sebastian," I growled. "this wouldn't have happened to me if you hadn't saved me from Pluto - …what the hell are you wearing?"

My eyes could not be averted from the regrettably sexy demon butler in front of me.

Sebastian was still wearing his usual black fancy suit, but nestled in his silky looking obsidian hair were two fluffy…bunny ears. And on his ass? His sexy, sexy firm ass…?

A bunny tail.

I stared at him.

Stared at him some more.

And just a little more…

And then promptly cracked up.

Sebastian glowered at me with his demonic version of pink eye. "And what, pray tell, is so amusing to you?" He asked in an obviously forced polite tone.

I pointed to his head and laughed, hardly being able to get the words out. "Y-your head! A-and your butt! Oh my God, this is hilarious! Where's a camera when I need one?"

Sebastian frowned and slowly his hands went up to his head, wrapping around the base of the bunny ears. Eyes widening slightly, his hands moved to his butt and he prodded the tail experimentally. Catching my major "X FUCKING D" face as I proceeded to have a stroke from all the laughter I was doing, Sebastian stated, "Well. This is a bit odd."

"It's fucking hysterical, that's what this is!" I choked on my laughter, doubling over and holding my stomach while I continued to cackle with mirth. "Oh, God, I think I'm gonna die if I don't stop - "

_Twang._

My eyes widened as I slowly turned my head to find an arrow embedded in the tree bark mere centimeters from my face. Paling, I turned back to Sebastian and whispered, "…Did I just get an arrow shot at me?"

There was a clamor of…shuffling, like a bunch of cards being shuffled right before a poker game. And then suddenly Sebastian and I were surrounded by none other than a troop of card soldiers. Like the legit cards with man faces and arms holding very pointy weapons at us.

I couldn't help it.

I screamed and clung to Sebastian in terror.

"I DON'T WANNA DIE VIA FANCILY PRINTED PAPER!"

"By order of Her Majesty the Queen of Hearts, you are hereby arrested and sentenced to an immediate beheading," One of the card soldiers announced from a piece of paper. Two came out of the crowd and towards Sebastian and I, holding their spears in front of them in a way that supposedly was threatening, but Sebastian just gave them a "Bitch, please" look and suddenly picked me up as effortlessly as I was a pillow.

"So sorry to disappoint you, gentleman," Sebastian said politely as I struggled and called him a plethora of rude titles. "but I'm afraid we must be off now. Cheerio~"

"H-Hey! Sebastian, I never said you could carry me - OH MY GOD IF YOU DROP ME I AM GOING TO CASTRATE YOU WITH A RUBBER CHICKEN," My angry complaint rapidly turned into a screech of terror as suddenly Sebastian jumped up into the freaking _air _and started to run on top of the trees. The _trees_.

_Like he was a fucking ninja or something._

"I'm too young and awesome to die!" I sobbed, clinging to Sebastian before I realized what I was doing. And even when I did realize it, I still didn't let go. Because let's face it - if you're being held bridal style in the arms of a sexy demon butler (who now sported rabbit appendages, yet somehow that didn't detract from his sexual appeal) while he's at least fifty feet above the ground on top of the trees and running from a bunch of dangerous card soldiers while arrows are flying at you, you're not going to let go.

"GET BACK HERE, TRESPASSERS!" The card solider that had given us our death sentence screeched, sending a volley of arrows at us. I just sobbed and clung to Sebastian in terror as he gracefully dodged it and landed on another tree top.

…for some reason, I was either acting like a pussy today, or I was just really sick and tired of these sort of things happening to me constantly. It was an either/or type of situation. Or maybe it was an all of the above type of situation.

On second thought, I'll blame it on PMS. That's a more reasonable explanation.

Damn me for being a girl.

"Aura, honestly, could you be any more louder?" Sebastian muttered in annoyance, giving me a hard glare. "I was kind enough to save you, and this is the thanks I get? Your screaming in my ear?"

"J-Just shut up and pay attention to the trees!" I snapped, hiding my face in his chest. For a moment I thought that I heard a heart beating in it. I quickly dismissed the notion, however, knowing that it was a stupid thought. Sebastian was a demon. I highly doubted he had anything remotely close to a heart. And a soul as well, for that matter.

"Yes, my lady," Sebastian chuckle, causing me to turn bright red and grumble more nasty words at him. But I couldn't deny the nice feeling that settled around me when Sebastian used such a term towards me. Damn bastard for having this affect on me - because of Sebastian, I had gained the uncanny ability to despise and love him so much. Sometimes I hoped that the two controversial emotions would cancel one another out someday and I would then be completely indifferent to him.

Then again, I've hoped for a lot of other things that haven't happened while in this predicament (not the whole "falling into Wonderland with just Sebastian" thing, but the whole "being the residential demon crack in Victorian London who's in love with a demon who will most likely steal my soul), so the anticipation just kind of fell flat.

Sebastian suddenly dropped from the trees, and I screamed again only to have him clamp a hand over my mouth, causing me to shut up. "Silence," He hissed as he ran along the ground. "We don't want to have them catch up now, do we?"

I shook my head, looking over Sebastian's shoulder. It appeared we had lost the card soldiers. Turning my head back to ahead of us, my eyes widened slightly as we approached a sort of a cave formed by the trees, which were warped and bent down low to create an archway of a sort. Sebastian paused in front of the entrance before continuing inside, looking around warily. As soon as we entered the cavern of vegetation, there was a creaking noise and a mass of branches and moss covered up our entryway.

This was definitely one of those FML days.

I looked up at Sebastian and with a small blush realized he was still holding me. "Y-you can let go now, asshat," I mumbled.

Sebastian did promptly just that.

More so, he dropped me on my ass on the cold hard ground.

"OW! What the hell was that for, fuckwad?" I snapped, rubbing my butt as I glared up at the bunny-demon butler.

Sebastian stared off at the other side of the tree cave, a pondering and slightly annoyed expression on his face. "This is most troublesome indeed…how will the young master survive without me at his side? I must return as soon as can be…and get these infernal appendages off of me," He glowered at his rabbit tail and ears.

I pouted, although deep down I was a bit worried about my adoptive younger brother myself. _Ciel…I hope you're all right. _I sighed and put my head in my hands, sitting Indian style on the ground in dismay. "How did we even get here anyway? Think it could be a trick of one of those other demons out to get me?"

"I'm not too sure myself, frankly," Sebastian admitted in a begrudged tone of voice. "I know this world is based off the novel _Alice's Adventures In Wonderland_ by Lewis Carroll, but something seems a bit off."

"Like the fact that you have bunny ears and a fluffy cotton tail?" I joked wryly.

Sebastian just glared at me.

I chuckled softly and paid extra attention to the mossy ground, tugging on a spring of the green stuff a bit. Sighing, I mumbled, "'Curiouser and curiouser.' said Alice."

"Contrariwise,' continued Tweedledee, 'if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic."

I looked over at Sebastian with raised eyebrows, a smile tugging it's way to my lips despite the situation. "Well, well, so you know a bit of _Alice _as well, Mr. Michaelis?"

"I believe that particular line is from _Through The Looking Glass,_" Sebastian corrected me, eyes flashing in a way that was a bit different than usual. "Besides, Miss Aura…how could I not know a quote or two from the novel? I am, after all," I rolled my eyes, knowing what was going to come next, and couldn't resist mouthing along the words with Sebastian as he said them:

"One hell of a butler."

We were both quiet for a moment and I blurted out, "Sebastian? How are we going to get back home? I don't want Ciel to think that I managed to convince you to run off with me or something."

To tell the truth, I had been more surprised at the fact that I had referred to the Phantomhive mansion as "home" as opposed to the second part of my sentence. It wasn't until Sebastian's amused tone of voice and the matching smirk as he said, "Oh? Run away with you? Why, Aura…is this a confession?" that I realized I had said something terribly wrong.

My face heated up like a chili pepper and I stammered, "N-NO! Of course not! What the hell do you think, you arrogant demon bastard? That the world revolves around you and every female falls at your feet? I'm not Isolde, Sebastian! I'm Aura Monray, and I despise your guts!"

Sebastian's crimson eyes flared at the mention of Isolde, the female demon who had gone a bit psychotic because she had apparently loved Sebastian so much she was willing to kill me to get to him. I stiffened when Sebastian was suddenly standing over me, facial expression an unreadable mask.

"…Sebastian?" I questioned a bit fearfully, thinking, _Maybe it wasn't a good idea to bring up Isolde…_

"Isolde was a disgrace to demonic society," Sebastian said in a cold tone. "I never want you to compare yourself to her, Aura. You are mine, do you hear me? Your soul is my precious property. Just as Ciel Phantomhive's is. I will never let any other demon take you away from me. _Never._"

I bristled when Sebastian yanked me up to my feet, holding me by the shoulders as he skillfully twisted our positions so that he was pressing me up against the wall made of leaves and twigs. My eyes widened when Sebastian leaned in close and whispered in my ear, "And because you and the young lord Phantomhive rightfully belong to me, I will do everything in my power to keep you two safe. As I cannot do anything for my master at the moment, being where I am currently…I suppose I shall have to focus on you."

My mind was screaming _Oh no you fucking don't! _even when it was too late, and Sebastian's lips were pressing against mine firmly.

I struggled against him for a bit, trying to maneuver my mouth against his so I could somehow find a way to bite him for stealing yet another kiss from me. But even as I struggled, my resistance slowly wore down as the kiss got less stiff and cold and more…warm, slow, soft. My eyes fluttered shut and I slumped against Sebastian, wanting so badly to get the hell away from him but on the other hand wanting nothing more than for this to continue. His lips fit against mine like a glove, and his tongue was skillfully prying them apart as his grip on my shoulder loosened and his hands slid to my waist, cupping my lower back and pressing me against him closer.

I mentally cringed when a girly and breathless tone whimpered against Sebastian's mouth, "S-Sebastian…w-why are you…?"

That wasn't me. The normal me would be cussing him out, even if I was enjoying this amazing kiss.

But, as his tongue wrapped around mine and battled it in a heated duel for dominance (which I promptly lost, of course), I realized that maybe deep down the part of me that wanted this to happen was at last getting her wish, and I should just let it continue while it lasted.

"Aura," Sebastian whispered huskily, one hand started a slow and methodical message on my back while the other one cupped my waist. "you are my property…and as your owner I have the right to do whatever I want with you, correct?"

All I could do was whimper as the kiss got more heated and possessive. I would even take a chance and call it passionate. If Sebastian had any ounce of passion in his cold, black heart that was obviously dead. He chuckled against my lips and slowly, tauntingly withdrew from them, bringing up the hand from my back to wipe off the saliva that still clung to them. He smirked slightly at me before pressing his lips chastely against my throat, sending a shock of lightning-like heat all over my body. Then his tongue was making slow and tantalizing wicked strokes against my skin, causing me to loll my head back to one side and a low moan rise from my throat.

Sebastian chuckled, licking and sucking at my throat a bit more before pulling away, scarlet eyes dancing in a waltz of devilish mischief.

I stared at Sebastian as he brushed an unruly strand of my black hair away from my eyes, only one phrase going through my mind at the moment._Ho-ly shit._

"What…the hell was that…?" I finally managed to ask. My voice was nothing more than a weak and pathetic squeak. My breathing was rapid and labored, and I was sure my face was as bright as a tomato now.

Sebastian just smiled placidly, white rabbit ears twitching from their place on top of his head. Stepping back from me, he checked his pocket watch and with a mockingly worried tone, fretted, "I'm late for a very important date…yes, I am indeed."

He spun around and the curtain of vegetation that had been blocking the entrance to the tree-cave suddenly parted, letting blinding sunlight shine through. I cringed at the sudden burst of light and gaped at Sebastian as he calmly stepped out of the cave. My feet finally remembered how to walk and I soon found myself grabbing the back of Sebastian's tail coat, very tempted to pull on her furry little tail that protruded from his ass.

"Dammit, you bastard! You ignore your fucking pride for one minute and tell me _just what the hell that was about!_" I snarled.

Sebastian did turn around, but he had that little knowing smile that said, "you're just a stupid human girl," which was a smile I knew all too well.

"Welcome to Wonderland…Aura."

…_Oh dear God, please let this all just be a dream…_

**I…I did it…I finally updated My Soul To Steal… *cries joyfully***

**I'm really sorry that this had nothing to do with the plot…like I said, this will be just an omake series that I will hopefully continue on throughout the story whenever I have writer's block. I promise (AND I WILL NOT BREAK THIS ONE) the next chapter will be much quicker now that I have my own laptop once again, and that it will be continuing off from the actual fanfic.**

**Anyway…I just realized that Aura really is a major tsundere. Oh, Aura…you and Romano would get along greatly. XD Your vocabulary is the same as well… O.O I did not plan that when I started this story - I wasn't even into Hetalia at the time.**

**Anyway…**

**Thank you everyone, though. Really, you have no idea how much I love you all who have kept up with this story, despite all the dry parts and the problems and the blah-ness that has popped up in it…it means so much. I give you all intergoogles hugs and cookies and Sebastian plushies. Or Ciel ones. Or Soma. Or…um…whatever plushy you want, I'll give you.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed the pointless romance I put in here. I felt like I owed it to you all after the cockblocks I've done and the cliffhangers…at least this time I ended it AFTER the make out scene. Yay~**

**I know it's probably too much to ask for a review after all the shit and waiting I've put you guys through, but I sincerely hope that you all found something good in this omake.**

**I shall start plotting the next real chapter right now! …as soon as I'm done listening to Disney songs on YouTube…why is it so hard to stop listening to them when originally all you wanted to do was hear one and then go on to something else? DX**

**RANT IS OVER. YOU CAN LEAVE NOW.**


	27. Please read

**So. I'm sure you all will hate me for this, but...**

**I will not be continuing My Soul To Steal.**

**I really hate to see this story die. But I've been contemplating, and I've realized that at first this was started just for fun. It was something to be gut busting hilarious, and just be a funny and crackish adventure to read about. But then, I started to mature in my writing, and I realized that I wanted to actually write something with more plot and a more solid basis.**

**I tried to get ideas for this. I really did. But none would come.**

**I wish I could finish this for you guys. I appreciate all the feedback and support you've given for this fic, but I'm sorry. It's just not worth continuing.**

**Maybe someday, I will attempt to rewrite this. I'll use a less crackish plot, but I'll still use Aura as the OC. Because I love her dearly, and I don't want to see her fade away.**

**Another reason why I'm going to discontinue this story is because I want to work on original stories more than fanfictions. Since I'm hoping for a writing career, I should probably begin to write things I can publish, and sadly fanfictions do not fall into that category.**

**I know I've made promises and broken them. And believe me, I feel awful about that. But I just don't want to try to continue this and keep letting you guys down...I'm so sorry. I feel horrible and like a selfish bitch, but I don't think this story is worth continuing. It's idiotic and childish, and pretty much a product of fangirlish rambling one summer day that blossomed into...this.**

**Perhaps, if it isn't too much to ask, someone can do the honor of using Aura for their own story? I really would hate to watch her disappear...she's one of my favorite OCs I have ever created, but I just can't get the motivation nor dedication so see her story through.**

**Thank you, each and every one of you, who has stuck with me thus far. But please, move on to bigger and better stories than this. This story doesn't deserve all the credit you all gave it, but I appreciated every word that was said, whether it be good or bad.**

**I hope you can all forgive me. It was a fun ride, but all things must come to an end at some point.**

**If you are interested in adopting Aura (I hope this doesn't sound too arrogant of me - I just don't want her to be forgotten...) please message me. I'm sure I'll accomodate to your needs. However, I'll most likely only hand ownership of her to one person, so be quick about it if you do want to become her new mother. I would like to see the plot line you have in store for her, as well as her role in the story. You may use her for any other fandom besides Kuroshitsuji, also.**

**And now it is time to say farewell. I wish you all luck in your future fanfiction endeavors, and I hope you all won't miss me too terribly. I don't know if I'll ever make another Kuroshitsuji story, but I do know I will make other fanfics until I feel it's time to hang up my keyboard and move on to a life of strictly original stories.**

**I love you all, and once again I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking with me for so long.**

**-Yuki/Bridget**


	28. That Girl, Emotions

**You know what? You guys are fucking awesome. Because yesterday, as I looked at all the people who said MSTS isn't crap and that it made a lot of them happy...I realized that maybe I could continue writing it. And so I went and watched the episodes that coincide with what I was currently writing, and lo and behold.**

**I got an idea.**

**So, here you have it folks. I'll continue My Soul To Steal. Except, it'll be more of a story I go to for my daily dose of crack. I won't pay very much attention to it. Rather, I'll focus on my other stories, both fanfiction and original. So don't expect quick updates, because it may take a month or two in between them.**

**But seriously...is this story that good to you all? Frankly, I thought it was an overused plot, and it wasn't too amusing...but if you guys all say it is, then I suppose I'll give in to peer pressure and agree with you all.**

**You've got to pat yourselves on the back. Without your reassurance, I wouldn't be writing this right now.**

**Anyway. I guess that means Aura's not up for adoption...yet. I want to keep custody of her for a little longer. *cuddles Aura* She is my baby, dammit. My outrageous, bitchy, fem!Romano baby. **

**I'm sorry if this chapter is short, but I figured it will be better than nothing. And I don't really want to go exactly with the plot of the episodes, because I like putting my own little twist in. This will mostly be an introductory to the last arc of what I will do for this story, and then I will complete it. But, I think you all will enjoy what I'm going to do. It helps that I'm home alone all day and it's my last day of spring break, so I have all day to write.**

**With that being said, I love you all. Every single one of you. Without your support, I probably wouldn't have wanted to go watch the episodes and my brain juices wouldn't have started flowing, and this wouldn't have been written.**

**It's thank to you that I'm still in this race, even though I'll be like an invisible ninja 90% of the time. ...oh well. That means people won't see me when I run past them. **

**_Chapter Twenty Five_**

**_Recap_**

_"I don't know quite exactly what this voice of yours has told you," Sebastian said in a low and husky tone, so close that I could feel his hot breath on my face. His burgundy eyes pierced right into my ice blue ones. "but I do know this." His other hand slipped down to my waist and wrapped around it possessively, pulling me even closer to him. My body and brain were going into hyper drive right about now, but I couldn't do anything. I was frozen, a puppet whose strings were being pulled by Sebastian Michaelis. Said puppet master's lips were suddenly mere millimeters from mine, and he whispered in an amused tone,_

_"I'm one hell of a butler, and you shouldn't believe everything a voice in your mind says."_

_And of course, because life is fucking Switzerland and it can't decide whether it wants to love me or hate me, the arrogant demon bastard's lips connected with mine for the second time._

**_Present Day _**

My eyes squeezed shut as Sebastian's lips moved against mine possessively. I couldn't help but slowly wrap my arms around his neck as he pushed me against the column, his hand clamping on my hip and rubbing the skin with his thumb. Every nerve in me was screaming to kick him off; to pull away and run like a motherfucker; to scream for Grell or Ciel; _something._

But I couldn't.

Goddammit, I just couldn't.

I wanted to stay like this forever, with Sebastian kissing me, because it felt like the best goddamn thing in the world.

I didn't care that it was a sin. I didn't care that my soul was practically this demon's plaything. I didn't care that I was driving myself straight down to Hell by letting him do this to me. I didn't care about the fact that very soon, I was going to be dead most likely, and he was going to be standing over my body sucking my soul out like I was a slushie.

All I cared about was Sebastian.

"D-Damn...you..." I mumbled against his lips, letting his tongue pry them apart and slip into my mouth. The unfamiliar feeling sent tingles down my spine as it wrapped around my tongue, coaxing it into a dangerous, deadly waltz, which I let him lead without hesitation. "Damn you...f-for making me...l-like this..." I clumsily moved my mouth against his, hoping to God that Ciel or Grell didn't come in and ruin this. Or else I would seriously fucking kill them.

Sebastian chuckled against my lips, tongue stroking mine in a way that I could only describe as affectionate. "Damnation and demons go hand in hand, Miss Aura," He whispered in a deep tone. "I don't think you'd get very far trying to condemn me even more than I already am."

I didn't really know what to say to that, so I just kept kissing him. Albiet a bit awkwardly, but fuck it. I had only been kissed once before, and that had been by Sebastian, and I had been so shocked that I had just stood there like an idiot.

"Cat got your tongue?" Sebastian asked in a voice that literally made my legs turn to jelly. I had to hold onto his neck to keep my balance, for fear that I would fall to the floor right there and then.

"No," I replied breathlessly, trying to combat his tongue with my own to prove it. "Just an...arrogant demon bastard...w-who has officially...m-mind fucked me..." I couldn't resist grinning a tad against his mouth. "A-although I bet you'd...enjoy having a cat on _your_ tongue...r-right, Mr. Bestiality...?"

He seemed to find that amusing, because he chuckled deep in his throat. The action reverberated back to my lips, making them all tingly - well, even more so than they already were - and he nibbled on my lower lip gently. A small moan rose up from my chest, and I pressed against Sebastian as much as I could, wanting nothing more than to immerse myself in his dangerously intoxicating taste.

_Who knew sin could taste so fucking good?_

Just when I thought I was going to burn up and incinerate into ashes - sort of like what was most likely going to happen to me in Hell once Sebastian was through with me - he pulled away and put his thumb on my lips, gently wiping away a thin line of saliva that hung there. I blushed brightly, but just gazed at him with half lidded eyes, breath coming out in short pants now.

_Oh God, _I thought as the cognitive ability to think slowly returned to me. Sebastian's kisses were like a sedative, to me - they were morphine, driving me into a world of hazy comprehension and lustful lethargy. I hated it because it made me look like a weak little girl, but at the same time it made me feel just so amazing that I didn't want it to go away.

Sebastian Michaelis was my drug, and I now knew that loud and clear.

"Why did you..." I whispered, putting a hand to my still throbbing, swollen lips. "Why did you...do that...?"

"Why?" Sebastian responded, brushing a stray strand of my hair from my eyes and looking into them. Ice met fire in that moment. That was when I truly knew he had melted me to my very core, and I was going to be forever wrapped in the fiery inferno of Hell.

"Because you're mine, Aura Monray. _Mine_. I can take your mind if I make enough effort. I can take your soul when I feel it is necessary. And..." He leaned against my ear, lips brushing the shell and making me shiver as need shot up and down my body. "I will take your body if I want to...and you will have absolutely no say in it."

All I could do was stare at him and squeak in a very unprofessional manner as my face heated up to an unhealthy shade.

A loud bell suddenly chimed from somewhere in the churchyard, breaking me from whatever spell Sebastian had cast me under. I groaned, slapping a hand to my forehead as the reality of what we had just done totally sunk into my brain.

"You fucking ass...we made out in a _church_, and you're a _demon_! I can't believe I let you - "

"Did I not already tell you that you have no say in the matter?" Sebastian asked, giving me that infuriatingly sexy smirk of his. "I will do whatever I please with you, wherever and whenever the urge comes to me."

I growled at him, slowly finding my inner bitch and bringer her back up from the ocean of girly romantic images that he had threw me into. "You're just acting like this because you're Ciel's bitch, and taking advantage of me makes you feel powerful and like a master or something," I hissed, shoving my middle finger in his face.

Sebastian chuckled, pushing my hand down. "Oh? Is that what you think? And what would you say if it was correct?"

His red eyes danced playfully, and I just averted mine to the floor, pretending to be very interested in an intriguing swirly pattern in the wooden planks that made up the entire floor. "...fucktard," I grumbled, hating the way Sebastian made me go from one extreme to the next.

Sebastian looked like he wanted to say something, but he suddenly stiffened and grabbed my hand. Without waiting for me to protest, he shoved me behind the wall and joined me, eyes narrowed as he stared at the other side of the church. From the back door, the same guy who had lead the earlier mass walked out, looking as ominous as ever in his creepy white robe. I looked up at Sebastian and opened my mouth to ask what was wrong, but he clamped a hand over my lips firmly and gave me a look that clearly said, "Stay quiet, idiot." I grumbled but obeyed anyway, watching as the dude walked over to the altar and deposited a leather book.

Just like the one used when those two naked people were being "cleansed"...

Three of the nuns suddenly came out of the large back door, and with them was Ciel dressed in that fucking adorable choir boy costume. Dear God, the boy really had no idea how cute he was, did he? If Sebastian wasn't currently keeping me prisoner against the wall, I would be glomping the kid at the moment.

"Leader, we've brought him," one of the women said.

"Well done. You may leave us now."

The three escorts bowed their heads in respect to the white-robed man before turning to leave. Once they had vanished from sight, the priest began to speak.

"You look very clean, Ciel. Very good."

Ciel looked up, and I could tell he was trying to look at the creepy dude's eyes.

"Come this way."

The expression on Ciel's face clearly screamed "Why the hell didn't I bring Sebastian with me?" but he followed the priest man to the altar anyway. I strained my neck to see what was going on - Ciel was staring at the book on the smooth surface as well as the candles that were flickering all around, and he bowed his head suddenly. _Dafaq? _I thought in confusion; it looked like Ciel was trying be...reverent or something.

"Thank you for choosing me. I understand it's an honor."

I stiffened at that. _This guy had better not turn out to be a pedophile who's planning on violating my Ciel...I'll shove one of those candles up his ass and then order Sebastian to rip his head off. Or something._

"Very good, and now there is something I'd like to read to you," The creeper explained, running a careful hand over the leather binding of the Doomsday Book. Because that was most likely what it was.

"…May I ask you, what exactly is a Doomsday Book?"

"For our purposes, it's a story I'll read to you as long as you want. Tonight's a treat, isn't it?"

Ciel flinched back, eyes widening in shock. I watched worriedly as his face paled, and I clenched my fists. Why wasn't Sebastian doing anything? Couldn't he tell that his master was going to have a mental breakdown or something? Looking over my shoulder, I realized with a jolt that Sebastian was...gone. Glowering, I groaned softly and shook my head. _Stupid fucking demon ninja sexy man..._

I bit my lip and went back to watching Ciel and the priest with anxious eyes, hoping that Sebastian had just disappeared so he could come to Ciel's rescue when the time called for it.

The creeper's hand reached out, ruffling Ciel's hair almost affectionately. My adoptive little brother's face went even paler at the contact, and his visible eye was swirling with a menagerie of emotions that even I could see from here.

"Cleanse yourself."

Ciel drew back, slapping the hand away. I rooted for him mentally, but my blood was running cold at the sound of the eerily familiar, feminine voice that echoed throughout the room. Why did I feel like I had heard that voice before?

_Chains...wings...white...purity..._

_...soft boobs..._

My head reeled as images flashed through my head. Were these memories? They sure as hell weren't mine! I would have remembered my face getting smashed in a lady's boobs! And being chained to a wall! And...

_Oh, bloody fuck._

My eyes widened when I realized that at one point I had been chained to a wall. When the Paranormalcy Society had kidnapped me to "purify" me, and Grell and that one other reaper dude with the glasses had rescued me. And Sebastian and Isolde had fought...and she had revealed her plan to kill me and make Sebastian hers...and then Sebastian had killed her...

_But these memories can't be mine...they feel so real, but they just can't..._

"Cleanse yourself of the sins you've committed, right here and right now."

The circular window above the two of their heads began to glow with an unearthly, white, light. It shone down on them and Ciel stared up at it, awestruck expression on his light made me feel extremely paranoid, and I wanted nothing more than to sprint out of the church and go dive in a mud puddle or something. Yet another reason why I hated coming to churches - they made me feel paranoid and unwelcome and just plain creeped out. I looked back to the priest, who was reaching out a hand clasping onto Ciel's throat with an iron like grip. My breath caught in my own throat and murderous rage filled up within me.

Suddenly Ciel seemed to break free from his grasp and he choked out in an enraged voice, "Sebastian, this is an order! Kill this man!"

"Yes, my lord."

The glass window shattered and Sebastian and Grell lunged through. The demon landed gracefully, pulling his arm back and releasing the large glass shard in his gloved hand. It sliced through the air with a whistle, embedding itself deep in the priest's forehead. He fell to the floor with an echoing thud.

I took that upon myself to make myself seen, not even wanting to ask why Sebastian was with Grell and how the two had gotten here and everything, because really. At this point I figured it was kind of pointless to ask such questions by now.

"Ciel!" I yelled, racing towards his side. "Ciel, are you all right? He didn't touch you anywhere, did he?"

Ciel didn't answer, instead turning around. I followed his gaze to see one of the altar servers from the cleansing. Before the man could take another step forward, Sebastian's arm had whipped out again. The glass shard cut through him, the cloak and man shredding as the glass sliced through him, turning into white feathers.

"I thought it was you, and I was right," Sebastian leered, raising another jagged piece of glass. "_Angela_."

"Angela?" Sam hissed, pulling Ciel to his feet. The woman soared through the air gracefully, large, white wings spread wide as she floated above them.

"_WHAT THE HELL IS AN ANGEL DOING HERE?_" Grell shrieked, going into panic mode.

My eyes stared at the woman - _angel_ - in front of us. She was...really pretty. And she wore a white and purple dress that kind of showed off more than what an angel should find modest. She had silverish-white hair and shockingly purple eyes that glittered with obvious malice. And, of course, you couldn't forget the pair of two bigass white wings protruding from her back.

_An angel..._

_"An angel come to you lowly humans to rid the world of the unclean. I can see it, you know. The malisons in your soul. That disgusting, filthy, abhorrent demon has tainted it. It reeks of evil - of impurity. But once I am finished with you, it will once again be as innocent as a newborn babe's."_

My head started to throb as the feeling of a hand around my neck, squeezing and cutting off my air, rose up. A snide voice whispered in my ear, tone disgusted and laden with sarcasm.

_"My name is Angela..."_

I clawed at my throat, trying to relieve the tension as panic rose up within me. My lungs burned for air, and I felt like the life was slowly being squeezed out of me.

_"...and I am your savior."_

The pain suddenly stopped and my senses were clear again. I took a deep gasp for air and then looked into the angel's purple eyes, hoping mine were blazing with hatred.

"It's you!" I snarled. "You're the one who tried to kill me in that basement! You're the one who used Isolde's weaknesses against her! _IT'S YOU!_"

She looked momentarily shocked for a moment, but quickly recovered and gave me a malicious sneer. "I'm so glad you remember me, Aura dear. It will make cleansing you so much more entertaining."

"Not if I have anything to say about it, you chicken winged, sacrilegious bitch - "

I was cut off by someone suddenly pushing me out of the way, and I fell to the floor with a thump. Looking up, my eyes widened to see Sebastian standing in front of me, his back turned to me as he glared at Angela, who had been swooping down at the spot where I had been standing just milliseconds before.

"Sebastian...?" I asked slowly. Had he just...saved me?

Angela suddenly reached out a hand and pulled Ciel up with her, high into the air. She withdrew a red and black book from the folds of her dress with a content smirk.

"Oh, look! That's a _real _cinematic record right there!" Grell yelled, gesturing wildly. I looked over at it with confused eyes. It looked exactly like the other book had...right? Reels of glowing film flew suddenly out of the cover, and it wrapped around me, Grell, and even Sebastian. Apparently his "one hell of a butler" skills didn't include being able to dodge move film or rip it off with his supernatural demon strength.

"Do something, Grell!" Sebastian ordered, gazing above him at Angela and Ciel. Ciel was struggling in Angela's arms uselessly, eye wide with terror and anger. "Use your death scythes!"

"Give me a second, okay? I'm working on it!" Grell sobbed dramatically as his hands flew all around, cutting at the reels of film. Of course, since the weapons in his hands were currently those shear-scissor thingies, they didn't do much good.

"Dammit, Grell, those things suck!" I snarled as I tried to pull the film reel off of me. Was it just me, or was it..._trying to strangle me_, almost? I shuddered as I felt a strand of it tighten around my wrist, yet another panic attack momentarily rising up within me.

"What else do you expect me to use? Will took my precious baby away from me!" Grell sobbed again, cutting the strands in a furious flurry of snapping metal and breaking film reel.

There was a sudden bout of girlish laughter from above me, and I looked up to narrow my eyes at Angela as she gripped Ciel in her arms tightly.

"I will show all of it to you," She whispered, leaning into his ear. It was a stage whisper - a tone loud enough and meant for all of us to hear. "All the light and darkness… every moment of your past."

Behind her, a glowing portal opened. It seemed to suck me in, the light so beautiful and yet so dangerous at the same time. It seemed to speak to me...mock me...condemn me to Hell's burning embrace...

A shrill scream cut into my mind, and I snapped my head back to see Ciel screaming as Angela began to drag him through. My eyes widened, and I tried to reach out, as if my lone hand from twenty feet below him could bring him back. "C...Ciel..._CIEL_!"

"Young master!" Sebastian roared, voice burning with pure acrimonious hostility. It even made me shiver, thinking of all the frightening things Sebastian could do if someone were to hurt his master. Angela, however, seemed completely unaffected by it as she disappeared into the portal.

Finally the restraints around me fell away, and Grell sang cheerfully in triumph, "I cut them~" I watched with stupefied eyes as Sebastian and him were suddenly jumping up to the portal as well, leaving me all alone on the ground.

"H-Hey!" I choked out, hating how weak my voice sounded. To be fair, though, I was pretty shook up about suddenly remembering that _a fucking angel had tried to kill me a few weeks ago, _and now this angel was dragging my adoptive little brother away to do something absolutely horrific to him. "W-wait...I can come with you guys! Wait for me!"

"No, Aura!" Sebastian roared as he and Grell vaulted into the portal. "Stay here! I already had my master taken from me..."

The portal disappeared with them inside it, but his voice still rang in my ears.

"...I can't afford to have my precious property stolen as well."

Alone in the darkened chapel now, I had no other choice.

I curled up, closed my eyes, and just completely passed out from the tidal wave of emotions that washed over me and sucked the very life from me.

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Um...Aura? Aura, you all right? Seriously...please don't tell me you just had a heart attack...b-because that would really suck, and I don't want you to die...! A-Aura, don't die! DON'T DIE, DAMMIT! I NEED YOU TO WATCH MY ANIME WITH ME AND STUFF! DON'T DIIIEEEE!"

My eyes squinted shut even more than they already were. _Ugh...seriously, Zoe...if I was dead, not even your screaming would help me..._

...wait.

...Zoe?

Like, my best friend Zoe who is a crazy anime/manga/anything Japanese obsessed girl and who first dragged me into the fucked up world of Black Butler/Kuroshitsuji/my own personal Hell?

...

_OH MY GOD, ZOE._

"ZOE~~~!" I screamed, eyes snapping open and attacking her in a tight bear hug from my spot on the floor. I clung to her, burying my face in her shoulder, and pretty much sobbed happily. "I have missed you so much, you crazy bitch! Where the hell have you been? I really needed your help here, you know! I have no fucking clue what to do in this anime thing of yours, especially now that Sebastian and Ciel are - "

I broke off, pulling away from Zoe and looking around wildly. I was...in the bookstore still? And I was...not wearing the maid dress that had been mandatory at the Phantomhive manor...

"Oh thank God, you're alive!" Zoe cheered, glomping me right back. "You passed out all of a sudden and I didn't know what to do! I thought you had died! Even though you still had a heart beat and stuff, but whatever! Point is, YOU'RE ALIVE~!"

I blinked rapidly as Zoe hugged me, all previous happy emotions having run dry to be replaced with dread. Why was I here? Hadn't I passed out in that church after Angela the evil angel had dragged Ciel into the portal of doom, and Sebastian and Grell had gone in after? Leaving me alone...

I bit my lower lip, shaking my head and pulling away from Zoe. That couldn't have all been just a dream, could it? Because, well...it's impossible for dreams to be that long! If I was in a coma for like, a month, I would be willing to believe it...but just ten minutes? No. Things like this did not happen. _And you don't feel pain or anything of the sort in dreams, _I thought, staring at the floor in shock. Another thought suddenly hit me, and my breath caught in my throat.

_...you can't fall in love with demons in dreams, either._

"Aura? Are you all right?" Zoe asked me worriedly as I stared at the cover of the manga in her hand. It was Black Butler, volume one. Yet again, Sebastian's smirk stared at me, and I felt a constricting sensation wrap around my heart, suffocating me almost. "You look a little pale...maybe we should go home. You did just pass out..."

I looked back at Zoe, her concerned green eyes boring into mine. It was good to see her innocent face and her strawberry blonde hair, but...

I wanted to see Sebastian, not Zoe.

I wanted to help him save Ciel.

I wanted to help him kick Angela's ass and laugh as Sebastian threw her into some deep, dark hole.

I wanted Sebastian.

"I'm fine," I muttered, pushing myself off of the floor and walking over to the section of the manga shelf and moving my eyes to and from each of the Black Butler volumes that called the shelf home. I raised my hand, fingers slowly gliding across the glossy surface on one of them, lingering on Sebastian's face. "Just fine and dandy. The world is full of kittens," I cringed, remembering Luna, and felt my heartstrings tug again, "and sunshine..."

"Are you sure?" Zoe asked worriedly. I didn't blame her for it; I normally was the type of person to treat everything like a bother. Not...this.

"I said I'm fine!" I snapped, swallowing thickly when I heard my voice crack. _Oh no you don't, _I threatened myself, pinching my arm. _You had better not cry, bitch. You don't cry. So suck it up and don't let things bug you. You're home now - you're not demon crack anymore. Don't. Cry._

"Come on," Zoe placed a hand on my shoulder and led me away from the manga selection. "we're going to go home. I think you're just having a bad case of PMS...some ice cream should help. And hey, I found a recipe the other day of apple compote with yogurt!" She grinned at me. "It's one of the desserts Sebastian makes for Ciel, and it's supposed to be really good~"

At Sebastian's name, I couldn't help it.

For the first time in my life since learning that Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy weren't real, I broke down and cried like a little bitch.

All the while thinking one thing and one thing only:

_Sebastian...!_

__**...holy shit. I actually did it. I freaking wrote an actual chapter for My Soul To Steal.**

**...I feel proud right now. :'3**

**I think I know what it was, though...I just really needed reassurance from you guys that this story _was _worth reading. I'm sorry if I freaked you all out, but I _will not _be discontinuing this fanfic. I don't want to end Aura's adventures just yet. And especially now with this chapter; I have an idea on how to end the story, and I'm going to do my damnedest to pull through it, no matter how long it takes.**

**So...please. Be patient with me. I know it may be difficult, but there are plenty of other stories out there that you can read, and not just this one. But I really do love you all for giving me the support and confidence I needed to pull through. **

**I hope that this chapter made up for yesterday's scare...and I really am sorry. I think now that I have an idea as to where I truly want to go with this story, it will be more fun for me to write. No matter how long it takes to write it. **

**Thanks, guys. You're all awesome and deserve a brofist. **

**Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. I know it may be too much to ask, but I want to make sure I didn't just create a raging crowd of nay-sayers from the way I ended it. It was needed... ^^;**

**Until the next chapter, I bid you all adieu, and once again...**

**THANK YOU.**


	29. That Girl, Blank

***Flails* I have been busy as fuck lately. I'm really sorry. The only things I've been able to write have been oneshots here and there. But school ended today, and summer starts officially tomorrow. Hopefully I'll get more stuff written.**

**This chapter is kind of short and more serious. I don't think it's all that good, really…but I wanted to show another side of Aura. And get more plot-ish stuff into the story. **

**I'm really sorry…at least it's a chapter. And I think it will be refreshing to see this personality change in her.**

_**Chapter Twenty Six**_

_**Recap:**_

_"Come on," Zoe placed a hand on my shoulder and led me away from the manga selection. "we're going to go home. I think you're just having a bad case of PMS...some ice cream should help. And hey, I found a recipe the other day of apple compote with yogurt!" She grinned at me. "It's one of the desserts Sebastian makes for Ciel, and it's supposed to be really good~"_

_At Sebastian's name, I couldn't help it._

_For the first time in my life since learning that Santa, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy weren't real, I broke down and cried like a little bitch._

_All the while thinking one thing and one thing only:_

Sebastian...!

_**Present Day:**_

I became a living vegetable.

I hate to say it, but that's what happened as soon as I returned home. I couldn't speak. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep.

I just sat, stood, walked; all with a vacant, empty gaze; always thinking. About that angel. About the Phantomhive manor. About Ciel. About Grell. About Mey Rin, Finnian, and Bardroy. About Luna. About Pluto. About Soma and Agni. About Lizzie. About everything that had happened to me while being in Victorian England.

Especially about Sebastian.

Of course I was happy to see everyone. My parents, Zoe, my other friends. Of course that as soon as I stopped crying (Zoe was positively freaking out as you can guess, since I'm not one to bawl like a baby about anything) and we left the bookstore and went home, I hugged my mother and father like I hadn't seen them for years. In reality, for me it had been months, but you know what I mean. Hell, I was even happy to get back into that routine of going to school and dealing with insane teachers, idiotic classmates, explosions of homework, and the like.

But when it got right down to it, all that stuff was really mundane compared to what I had been through.

I felt like I had been to Hell and back. I had seen things, things that people here would never understand. Things that people violently, openly protested about. And whether they were things that were just figments of my imagination, or something entirely else, I had no clue.

I had seen demons fighting against one another. I had seen a gay grim reaper try and makeout with one of those said demons. I had seen an angel create a portal out of thin air and steal my adoptive little brother away. I had seen a demon cat who was also like my daughter befriend a mangy, slobbering demon hound. I had seen so much; learned so much. To tell someone about it would be a crazy thing to do.

But it was almost crazy to think that all of it was just in my head and that none of it was real.

Two weeks eventually passed since my coming back to reality. In all honesty, I would tell you what happened if I could. But to be frank? It all passed in a blur. I was like a machine, a robot. I did as I was told. I did what was expected of me. I did not question. I did not fight. I simply became an obedient pawn in the game of life, moving to whatever square on the chess board that fate decided to move me to.

This was not the Aura Monray I had created for myself.

This was the Aura Monray I had been trying to hide from everyone else.

The Aura that everyone had known for so long? The one that snapped at everyone, the one that insulted and made snide remarks? The one that was never at a loss for words and always had a strong opinion about everything? The one that, in all honestly, was a total bitch?

She was a lie.

The Aura Monray that I was right now?

She was the truth.

I was just a scared little girl. One who didn't want to let anyone in and see what really was in my heart. One who did whatever she was told so no one would yell at me. One who was like a dog, ready to do whatever her master commanded her to do.

This was the Aura Monray that Sebastian had almost cracked the outer shell to.

Everything reminded me of Sebastian now. I hated to admit this, but it did. From the color black; to fire; to cats; to fancy desserts; to curry; to churches…even one of my favorite bands, Within Temptation. I couldn't even listen to their songs anymore. I had deleted them off of my iPod - it had been too painful. _A Demon's Fate, Fire and Ice, Our Solemn Hour, All I Need, Angels…_it was as if each song had been created as some jab to my heart about Sebastian. About how deep down, he was just a selfish, hungry demon who merely wanted my soul.

He didn't love me. He probably didn't even see me as anything more than a midnight snack.

But I sure as hell loved him.

By God, I loved that arrogant demon bastard. So much that it hurt. So much that I hated it. So much that I wished I could rip my heart out and feed it to a carnivorous cow with a serious case of rabies.

And thinking these thoughts, mulling over them as I stared blankly at my window and watching the clouds pass over the front lawn and make puffy shadows all over the place, is how Zoe found me one day after those two weeks had went by.

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Aura! I'm here to get you out of whatever depression you've fallen into!" My best friend stated as she stood in the doorway of my bedroom, arms crossed. Her green eyes swam with irritation, but deep down I could see the worry. She had something in her hands, some black and rectangular that I couldn't see. I gazed at her blankly, blinking.

"Aura…" Zoe sighed, coming over and sitting down on my bed. "Please, Aura. Tell me what's wrong. You've never done this. Never. Your parents are worried sick. Everyone at school is thinking you got lobotomized or something. Even the teachers are noticing! I'm your best friend. Can't you at least give me a hint as to what's wrong?"

I wanted to tell her. I really did. I wanted to tell her _everything_. But I knew she wouldn't believe me. Sure, Zoe loved her fan fictions where that sort of thing - falling into a fandom and becoming part of the cast, falling in love with a certain character, going on crazy adventures - happened. She read them all the time. She even has a folder on her laptop dedicated entirely to that genre of entertainment.

But frankly, if I told Zoe that it had really happened to me, I was scared she'd think I was insane.

So I just shrugged, staying silent. It was easier that way. Trying to block everything out. It made it easier for the things to stay inside my head, to make sure I didn't let them slip out and then look like a crazed lunatic.

If you let people knew you were in love with a possibly fictional demon, things could get messy.

Zoe sighed and reached a hand out, stroking my hair. I hadn't put anymore streaks or dye in it since being recalled to life, so to speak. As they say in good ol' _Tale of Two Cities. _And surprisingly, no one had noticed it was back to being its boring, plain black.

"I understand that you don't want to tell me, I guess…but it kind of hurts. I thought we had promised to tell each other everything?" _We did. _"So I just…don't know why you're keeping everything locked up." _Because if I let it all out, _I'll _be the one getting locked up in an insane asylum. _"Well…you're obviously not going to answer me. So I'll just come out and say it: I brought my Black Butler DVDs, and we're going to watch it, and you are going to get happy again. Got it?"

I almost cried as I watched her pop the DVDs into the TV with horror-filled eyes. Watch Black Butler? But that was why I was like this! How could she be so stupid? Hadn't she -

…oh. Right. …Zoe didn't know…

…_I will just…suck it up now and watch it, I guess…_

Everything was kind of blurry as we watched the first part. It was stuff I had already known about - stuff I was all too familiar with. Especially Drocell the creepy puppet dude and the mansion full of Chuckie's sisters. But one key element was missing. One piece of the puzzle was no where to be found.

Me.

I'm not saying that to be arrogant. I think we've established the fact that that Aura is pretty much shattered all over the floor right now. No, I'm saying it because it's true. I was there, dammit. I witnessed that entire fucking episode. I recall every detail as clear as day, and you know what?

It. Actually. Happened. In. The. Series.

And keep in mind, I had never watched Black Butler past episode one before. So how could my sub consciousness have known how the show played out, using every detail so perfectly to play the entire thing out in my dream or whatever the hell it was? _How?_

The answer was simple.

Either I was now somehow psychic on top of being demon crack and slowly grinding my way towards insane, or that all truly had happened to me.

And frankly, I was going with the second option.

"…Zoe?" I finally croaked out as she put in the discs for the second part. My voice sounded a bit rusty from not having spoken in awhile. Zoe's head snapped out at the sound of my voice, strawberry blonde curls bouncing. Her eyes widened, but she stayed silent as she waited for me to finish my question. It took me awhile to form the words, but I eventually got them out.

"Can you…give me a debriefing on how the rest of the series goes? Before we watch them…I know you hate giving spoilers, but I'd like to know. Please."

I wanted to see if what I had experienced while in that world was really what happened in the actual series. To see if I was crazy or not. To _prove _whether or not I was insane.

I guess my adding "please" to the end of my request really shook her up, because she nodded without hesitation and kept the screen on the main menu. I found myself staring at a screenshot of Sebastian in a gothic backdrop, swiftly paced classical music blaring out of the speakers. It was hard to concentrate on Zoe with the source of all my woes was right in front of me.

"Okay, so, basically after they find Pluto and stuff, the series goes to the Curry Contest Arc. Sebastian and Ciel meet an Indian prince named Soma and his right-handed man, Agni. They're looking for a palace servant called Meena, whom they believe was kidnapped by a British man. Lots of stuff happens and it turns out that Meena married the British dude because she hated the caste system and everything, and Agni is being forced to help him win a royal warrant in the queen's annual curry contest, and Soma is betrayed. Lots more stuff happens, Sebastian and Ciel enter, Sebastian kicks ass because he's one hell of a butler, and there is an evil curry that makes everyone get bat-shit crazy. Sebastian's curry saves everyone, Soma and Agni make up, they go off to see the world, yadda yadda yadda."

I stayed silent as Zoe explained.

This was all stuff I knew.

All of it.

"The comes the Doomsday Book Arc! There's an occult taking over an old church, and Ciel and Sebastian are sent to take care of it by the queen. Her messenger, Ash Landers, tells them to do so. Now remember Ash because he's very important. So basically Ciel and Sebby go to the Undertaker - remember, the guy who likes coffins - for information, Grell the gay shinigami is there, and more stuff happens. Blah blah blah, they're at the church, and some crazy shit starts to go on. Sebastian does a nun for information," here I winced, gripping my fist so tightly that my nails dug into my palm, "they get said information, and turns out that the books that the head priest has isn't really a Doomsday book. But the entire occult thinks so. Ciel gets suckered into being a choir boy, and he goes with it because then he can maybe solve the case, but turns out the priest is actually a fucked up zombie who is a combination of his mother and father's dead bodies."

I stiffened.

…_what?_

Zoe didn't notice my reaction and kept on going. "He almost has a mental breakdown, and an angel appears. Angela Blanc. She was the maid to the dog dude in the first part, the one who gave Pluto to Sebby and company. She's actually really messed up in the head, by the way. She takes Ciel and brings him to the Reaper Library, which holds all the cinematic records of everyone, and Sebby and Grell follow to save Ciel. And she makes him relive his past. She makes him watch his parents die in the fire that destroyed their mansion again, and she tries to make it so Ciel forgets his hatred so she can have his soul and not Sebastian. Because angels and demons are major enemies, you know? Anyway, Ciel has a really hard time because his parents are trying to get him to stop trying to avenge them - Angela is orchestrating this entire thing - but he manages to snap out of it and breaks Angela's hold and fixes himself. Sebastian, Grell, and the other shinigami dude William all fight with Angela, they think they win, and they leave victoriously and return to the manor. Of course, the church got totally destroyed in the process."

Again, I was silent.

_So that's what happened…but where did I come in…?_

"After that, Ciel and Sebastian - "

"Stop."

Zoe clamped her mouth shut immediately, staring at me in confusion. "Aura…?"

"Just stop. I don't want to hear any more of it." I shook my head rapidly. "I'm sorry, Zoe…I'm sorry." I swallowed thickly, hating the way that tears threatened to attack my eyelids. I hated this…being this emotional lovesick girl. I hated what Sebastian had done to me. I hated it so much.

…but…at least I knew something.

From Zoe's SparkNotes version of the part of the series I had just come out from, I knew I wasn't crazy. I had been in all of that. _All _of it. It couldn't have been just a dream. How could it? Each detail was spot on to what I had witnessed. You couldn't dream that when you had never watched the rest of the episodes.

I wasn't crazy.

I wasn't.

"Just…put it on the episode after Ciel and Sebastian get back from the creepy ass church. Please?" I avoided Zoe's eyes as I made the request.

She nodded slowly, reaching for the remote. Soon I found myself staring at the screen, watching as the opening scene unfolded to two people on a boat. At night. And there was a figure jumping off of a big ship in the dark…

…I'm afraid I didn't really pay attention or comprehend any of it.

Not until Sebastian and Ciel were onscreen, talking to one another in Ciel's office.

Then I started to pay attention.

Zoe stared at the screen in confusion. "…this isn't how this episode goes…they should be at Lau's, inquiring about the drug Lady Blanc! I know it, I've watched this dozens of - "

"Sebastian…" I whispered, reaching towards the screen. Nothing else mattered. All sound fell away from my world as I stroked his face on the screen, leaning towards it. "Sebastian…I need to see you again…I can't stay away, even if you are the bastard who's going to drag my soul down to Hell…please, Sebastian…bring me back…take me back with you…I can't leave you or Ciel, or anyone…let me go back…let me go back…!"

And I swear this happened.

Sebastian turned his face right to me from where he stood on the screen…

…and nodded.

My eyes widened when everything began to get fuzzy all of a sudden. I saw Zoe reach for me, her muffled voice seeming to shout my name in confused terror as I fell forward. Where there had been a TV only moments ago was now pure darkness; shadows that eagerly awaited me to fall into their depths.

And so fall I did, screaming all the way.

**X~X~*~X~X**

_**So…you managed to escape, I see.**_

…

_**Lucky brat. The only reason you escaped was because I am being lenient. I could have made you stay in that place, watching from a safe distance as your mind slowly became more and more fragmented, until you were nothing than a former husk of sanity.**_

…

_**Are you going to say anything? …no? Hah! It is not surprising, being what you are. Filth. Disgusting. Unfit to live anymore. Your soul is so thoroughly tainted now, I do not even know if my cleansing would fix it. **_

…

…_**I pray that you enjoy your last days, Aura Monray. I know I will enjoy watching the events that befall you in them unfold.**_

…

…

…_it's gone…time to wake up then…wherever I am…_

…

My eyes slowly blinked open, and for a moment everything was pure whiteness. I blinked multiple times, and things began to come into focus slowly but surely.

Such as a very familiar pair of crimson eyes.

I stared into those pits of fire for a few moments before slowly reaching a shaky hand up, stopping right before it touched those pale, porcelain-like cheeks.

"…Sebastian…?" The name was thick and muddled on my tongue. It sounded like I was drunk or under a helluva lot of painkillers. Like Vicadin. That shit makes you crazy. I know by experience because when I was younger, I slammed my finger in the door and crushed it pretty much, so the hospital gave me those lovely little pills to keep me pain free and happy. Oh, that was fun. I hung out with Disney characters for a week straight.

He nodded, lips curling into a small smile. "Yes. It is Sebastian, Miss Aura."

I smiled gently, taking my hand away from his cheek a bit. "Good…"

And then I slapped him as hard as I could.

"THAT'S FOR LEAVING ME ALONE IN A FUCKING EVIL CHURCH WHILE YOU AND GRELL JUMPED THROUGH A BLACK HOLE!"

Obviously not even Sebastian's demon skills had prepared him for that, because he just blinked rapidly in shock, holding his now pink cheek and staring at me. I felt kind of proud for throwing him off guard for once, but the next thing I did I honestly had no idea that my body was going to voluntarily do it.

What I did was grab his face on both sides, yank him down to my mouth, and press a big fat kiss right on his lips.

"…and that's…just because I wanted to do it…"

…yep.

Sebastian Michaelis had officially mindfucked me.

**Soon everything will be explained. And I think I'll do about five more chapters and be done with this story. I know you all probably have a lot of questions, and I'm sorry if this was crappy and short. I just needed to get it out of the way.**

**Thank you, though. For all the reviews and telling me it was a good idea to continue. I know it's annoying with these long gaps between updates…I really am sorry.**

**If it isn't too much to ask, keep reviewing. It's what keeps my motivation for this. Without you guys, there would be no story.**

**Thanks for reading.**

**P.S. Please read a story called "Of Guns and Roses" by SavageTrickster. It's a SebastianXOC AU fic. It's better than this one, I promise.**


	30. That Girl, Pieces

**Hey look at me, getting an update in less than a month after the last one! I deserve a round of applause.**

**Well, my laptop's battery shitted out on me, so I'm writing on the desktop. Which the family shares. So this chapter took me awhile.**

**This chapter is going to be on the short side again, and just leading up to the asplosion of epicocity I have planned for the next one. Also, as you can see, I'm starting to get a bit more dramatic with this story, and put my own twists and turns to the series. I don't want to follow the entire thing completely so I am kind of just screwing with the timeline of the series…it gets kind of too difficult to really keep track of that after awhile anyway.**

**Enjoy, and really…please review. They are my lifeline now. TT^TT**

_**Chapter Twenty Seven**_

_**Recap: **_

_I smiled gently, taking my hand away from his cheek a bit. "Good…"_

_And then I slapped him as hard as I could._

_"THAT'S FOR LEAVING ME ALONE IN A FUCKING EVIL CHURCH WHILE YOU AND GRELL JUMPED THROUGH A BLACK HOLE!"_

_Obviously not even Sebastian's demon skills had prepared him for that, because he just blinked rapidly in shock, holding his now pink cheek and staring at me. I felt kind of proud for throwing him off guard for once, but the next thing I did I honestly had no idea that my body was going to voluntarily do it._

_What I did was grab his face on both sides, yank him down to my mouth, and press a big fat kiss right on his lips._

_"…and that's…just because I wanted to do it…" _

…_yep._

_Sebastian Michaelis had officially mindfucked me__._

_**Present Day:**_

I heard Ciel's sharp intake of breath from behind Sebastian's back, but I didn't care. I simply gazed up at the demon with a flushed face, taking in his shocked look and bright pink cheek from where I had slapped him. It felt good to see that. Really good.

Since no one was saying anything, I took it upon myself to mutter, "What, no one is going to judge my sudden action right there? I would think the fact that I just voluntarily liplocked with Sebastian would get just a _little _bit more of a reaction. Do I need to do it again to get some satisfying feedback?" Not that I would mind it, really…

Sebastian coughed into his hand and stood up straight, which allowed me to look around at my surroundings. Instead of being in Ciel's office, like they had been when the TV had sucked me into it or whatever the hell had happened, we were back in "my" room—the one I had used during my stay here. I was in the bed, all tucked in nicely, and I think I was wearing one of Mey Rin's nightgowns. I couldn't really tell under the sheets. Ciel stood behind Sebastian, as I had predicted, and both were staring at me with obvious shock in their eyes.

Really, that expression when it was on Sebastian's face? It was just too sastisfying.

"Earth to arrogant demon bastard and adoptive little brother," I snapped, waving my hand in the air to get their attention. "I'd appreciate it if someone would tell me what happened and why I am in a bed when the last thing I remember was…" I narrowed my eyes at Sebastian irately, the buzz of our short lived kiss having completely dissipated from my being. "…was being left all alone in a church full of evil occult goers after meeting a sacrilegious angel who just happened to be the same one who orchestrated my kidnapping and near death by Isolde, and then passing out because it was just much too stressful for a girl of my weak nature to handle."

…Okay, yes, I was being a bit sarcastic with the last bit, but could you blame me?

That seemed to snap them out of their little comatose moment, and Sebastian cleared his throat. I noticed that he didn't meet my eyes, and that the pink flush from my hand making slightly brutal contact with his skin had spread to the other cheek as well. That was interesting.

"The abomination and I followed the angel into the portal she had created when she had stolen my young master," Sebastian began. Ciel's face had stiffened and gone a bit dark, and he refused to look at anything else but the ring on his finger. "and we found her trying to…rewrite Bocchan's past by tampering with his cinematic record. To make a long and complicated story that you would most likely not understand short—" I flinched at that. He was still an asshole, it seemed. "—the young master managed to thwart Angela's plans and get out of her limbo she had created to ruin his mind. The abomination, that other Reaper, William, and the Undertaker all rescued him in the Grim Reaper library where all of the world's cinematic records are kept. We found ourselves entangled in a battle with Angela once we returned to the church, and we caused the building to collapse while the angel was still inside it."

I blinked. Well, that was pretty much the SparkNotes Zoe had told me…so it had to be true.

But wait…

"And what about me?" I snapped, crossing my arms. "I was _unconscious on the floor of that church_, if I remember correctly!"

"Ah, yes, well," Sebastian tapped his chin in thought. "You were indeed inert when we returned. If _I _remember correctly, I do believe you were whimpering and carrying on in your unconscious state; perhaps a nightmare? Anyway, I did my duty to make sure my precious property was safe and prevented Angela from harming you as well as my young master any further. And thus, we returned home, and you have been sleeping for a week. You've missed quite a lot, Miss Aura. Everyone has been extremely worried about you. Luna especially—she has been visiting you every day. Right now she is out with Pluto to do Lucifer knows what, however…" His voice trailed off in a disapproving, displeased manner, and I couldn't help but mentally grin a bit. Overprotective demon daddy is overprotective.

"Including Sebastian," Ciel finally spoke up. I looked over the black clad butler's shoulder to see the little brat smirking slightly at me. "He has been at your side every moment he possibly could to take care of you. Like a lost puppy, almost. It is actually quite entertaining."

The flush on Sebastian's cheeks mysteriously darkened, much to my amusement, and he spun around. "…Bocchan, I do believe it is time for your afternoon tea. I will be there shortly to serve it to you. Miss Aura and I have some matters to discuss."

Ciel's smirk widened and he nodded, heading for the door briskly. "If you make a mess, Sebastian, we all know you will be the one to clean it up."

"…yes, Master."

I couldn't help but snicker at Sebastian's annoyed tone as Ciel disappeared, even though the little brat had basically just hinted that his butler and I were going to do the nasty on the bed or something. Which I would not be letting happen. Looking up at Sebastian with a small grin, I said, "So, Sebby dearest…you were worried about me, eh?" For some reason, I was feeling strangely bold and risky. Maybe it was because I was back here now.

The demon glared at me half heartedly and checked his pocket watch, a disdainful expression on his face. He didn't answer, and when about two minutes of awkward silence had passed and I was about to say something, he said in a quiet tone, "I thought that pathetic excuse for an angel had taken you away from me. I was not worried—I was angry. How dare she torment my master to the point of no return almost, and on top of that force my prize into a comatose state? It was not anxiety that kept me at your side, Aura—it was sheer fury."

I scoffed. Likely story. "Right, right…just keep telling yourself that, Sebby. …hey, wait…are you saying that _Angela_ did…well, did what exactly?"

"I could sense it on you," Sebastian stated gruffly, "when we returned to the human realm…she put you under some sort of enchantment, almost. You were stuck in a dream world. As one hell of a butler, that sort of thing is easy for a demon of my stature to deduce."

My eyes widened. "A…dream world…?"

So…I hadn't gone home? Not really? I had just been…living out one very realistic dream? And…_Angela _had put me in it? But what about that voice—

…that voice.

That voice had always been the same whenever I had heard it. And I had recognized it periodically during my stay here. It had never been quite the same…but there had been always something clearly similar whenever I had heard it.

…Oh. My. GOD.

"ANGELA'S BEEN THE VOICE IN MY HEAD THIS ENTIRE FUCKING TIME!" I screeched, eyes blazing with rage. "Oh my fucking God, it was her! It was her at the creepy puppet mansion place, and during the curry contest, and all of the other times…it was _Angela_! That little bitch—next time I see her ugly, chicken-wined face, I'm going to draw pentagrams all over it in snake blood and throw a Ouija board at her!"

Sebastian blinked at my violent reaction, but a slow, small smile spread across his face. "…well. That sounds like an excellent idea, Miss Aura. For once I agree with you and your over the top methods."

I couldn't help but grin at that, but it slowly faded as another thought hit me. "U-Um…S-Sebastian? How come when I…kissed you just now…you didn't really have a reaction?" Oh God, was I an idiot. Why the hell would I ask that? I already knew the answer! Because Sebastian just saw me as his precious little midnight snack, his steroid-enhanced Gatorade. I already knew this, but still…it hurt. And I really wish it didn't—I hated how much he had twisted my pathetic human emotions around and basically turned them into one confused pretzel of a clusterfuck.

Being a girl sucked.

Sebastian's answer surprised me, however. Instead of saying something along the lines of "Because I view you as nothing more than a prize I must patiently wait for before I may claim it," he said this:

"I was genuinely shocked, Miss Aura. I had not expected that. Thus…I was not quite sure how to react. I am sure the next time it occurs, however, I will have a much better, more satisfying response."

…well. I had not expected that either.

…wait…

_The next time it occurs?_

"S-Sebastian, wait! What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded with a slowly reddening face as the demon butler made his way for the door. "Th-the next time? Uh-Uh, no way, you bastard! That was a onetime deal brought on by the fact that I had just woken up from a very stressful dream world, and I was relieved to see a familiar face! You are _not_ getting any more surprise kisses from me, do you hear? So there _is_ no next time!"

Sebastian chuckled in that infuriatingly scornful manner I had grown so accustomed to. In my "weeks" (since according to Sebastian it had only been one week of my being unconscious) of being in the dream world Angela had apparently sent me into, I had realized deep down that I kind of liked it. N-not the way it always seemed to mock me, just…

I liked it because it meant Sebastian was actually acknowledging me, and frankly with the way my brain and heart were so screwed up because of him? I was willing to just accept that much for now.

"Believe whatever you care to believe, Aura. We both know that sooner or later…you will succumb to what I desire of you. Whether it be your soul…"

His eyes locked with mine, fire meeting ice in an aggressive encounter.

"…or your body."

And then he was gone, leaving me with a face as red as a tomato and a very embarrassed and confused look on my face.

"…I hate you, you son of a bitch."

…_just kidding…we both know I love you…_

_As much as I hate _that _little fact…_

**X~X~*~X~X**

I eventually was approved to leave the bed by my faithful nurse (read: Sebastian…who obviously was not pleased when I referred to him as "Nurse Sebby," as can be inferred by the returning case of demon conjunctivitis) and so the next day I reunited with the rest of the Phantomhive household, from lovable ditzy four-eyes Mey Rin, to gruff pyromaniac Bardroy, to shy Finnian, to the accursed demon hound Pluto (who of coursed did his nekkid-poofle thingie on me and glomped me and licked my face…) and finally my precious Luna.

And we hugged and sobbed happily and dramatically like the awesome mofos we are.

And because I am lazy at describing detailed scenes, we are going to get on to the next order of business:

Lau the Chinese drug man.

Apparently he was selling a new opium-based drug under the name "Lady Blanc," and it was appearing in Funtom candy wrappers. To make matters worse, he had disappeared before he could be apprehended and questioned. So, of course, it was up to Ciel and Sebastian to go check things out and make sure the Funtom name wasn't being ruined by some crazy Asian. Because, you know, they're the Sherlock and Watson of the supernatural underground. Although if you think really hard about that comparison, it is kind of difficult to tell who is the Sherlock and who is the Watson.

…I call being Moriarty. Because everyone loves the insane, psychopathic characters. And we all know I'm already aboard the crazy train as it is, so I might as well have some fun before it gets to my stop and the men in the white lab coats try to convince me the world is made of ice cream.

Anyway, back to reality.

Sebastian and Ciel were heading to the candy factory to check on the supplies and whatnot, and to see if the opium stuff really was there. And they told me I could not come along, because apparently I would be too much of a bother. Which, of course, I had a little bit of a tantrum about, which involved the use of much foul language and trying to bitchslap Sebastian again. But apparently he had learned from the last time, so he had sadly used his demon ninja skills to avoid me. Which made me annoyed. Very annoyed.

So of course, what do you think I did since I was told to stay behind at the mansion and make sure everyone stayed out of trouble?

I snuck out to go and follow Ciel and Sebastian. What else would you have expected from me?

I didn't bring Luna with me this time, however. I mean, yes, I had missed her. But…I really could tell she and Pluto had a thing. And as creepy as it was, it was cute. So I didn't want to bother her. Plus I just didn't want her getting wrapped up in my disobedience and getting on Sebastian's bad side once again…she probably had done enough with me to almost give him a gray hair.

So it was another night of Aura Monray ninja-ing around the streets of London secretly following my two favorite…er… "detectives."

…who, surprisingly, were not that hard to find. Being that there was an entire battalion of Scotland Yard police people surrounding the carriage they had been riding. And yes, I was hiding behind a barrel and watching the entire thing unfold. This is how it went, after this one guy jumped in front of the carriage to stop it (Sebastian pulled the reins just in time, because he's one hell of a butler and all that) and started spouting off about how Ciel was now under arrest. Because apparently, they had found the Lady Blanc-candy-opium-stuff.

"My, my. You would _dare_ detain _me_? Do you have any idea the magnitude of the insult you offer to the house of my family?" Ciel seethed as I watched with wide eyes. "And, _you_… an untitled police inspector, no less."

"I'm afraid that's correct, Ciel," The police guy—I think his name was…Abberline, from what I remembered Zoe telling me—replied in a stiff tone. "You are suspected of collaborating with the Chinese drug pusher, Lau. We know that you've been distributing a new form of narcotic."

"With Lau?" Ciel scoffed. I watched as he paused for a moment and then that bratty little smirk spread across his lips. "Ha! That's just ridiculous. I'll admit that I've been using him as a pawn for some time, but Randall knew full well that he was running an opium den and he's never said a word. If that's a problem, then arrest Lau. He knows I would never protect him. Lau runs his business at his own risk and by his own hand."

"You own a warehouse, yes?" Inspector Abberline asked. "The Funtom warehouse located down by the docks?"

"Yes," Ciel answered, voice hard. Uh oh. Shit was about to go down…

"That's where we found it… a large, hidden, stash of the opiate known as Lady Blanc."

The young Earl's visible eye widened in shock.

"There was far too great an amount for you to claim recreational use, some of it already inside Funtum sweet wrappers."

Ciel's smirk had slipped off his face. He stared down at the inspector coldly, a light, barely visible, hint of worry in his gaze.

"And Lau?"

"He's on the run. The team we sent after him suffered great casualties. That's as good as an admission of guilt."

"What shall we do, young master?" Sebastian questioned from within the carriage. I was glad I was close enough to hear, but still had yet to be found.

I watched as Ciel stepped out of the carriage, face impassive as he pondered his answer. Finally, he turned to Sebastian and said, "Sebastian, my order is too—"

"Shut your mouth, you brat!" Suddenly another guy entered the scene, this one with a cool beard-mustache thing going on and a top hat. He actually looked like what you'd think an old investigator from London in Victorian times would look like. Oh yeah—he had a gun and had it pointed at Ciel.

Not cool, bro. Not. Cool.

"Abberline," he called, (hey, I was right about his name!) voice tinted with annoyance and frustration, "I thought I told you. You were to separate the boy Earl from his butler and secure the other one."

"Randall…" Ciel scowled. "I wonder that you would choose to point a gun at me knowing what it means to do so."

"Well, now. If you'd like to resist, please be my guest, sir!" Gun-man—Randall—said pleasantly. His eyes narrowed threatening behind his glasses. "But I can assure you, that would be the end to the Phantomhive name… sullied as it is by now, perhaps that's for the best."

Ciel flinched slightly, eyes widening in shock. My own eyes widened in disbelief. What the fuck could that mean?

"_What?_"

"I've just received orders from the Queen's representative, and he made Her Majesty's intent quite clear," Randall smirked.

_Ash…that's that other butler's name, right? Ash Landers…_

"Ciel Phantomhive, you are under arrest! In Her Majesty's name, I hereby suspend all of your privileges and authority! If you defy the law in this matter, you shall be stripped of your noble title on the charge of high treason. Furthermore, the man known to the state as Lau, opium smuggler and head of the English branch of Kunlun, shall be executed for his crimes against the crown. Ciel Phantomhive, will you confess to the knowledge of Lau's whereabouts or the whereabouts of the letter we know you have concealed?"

_A letter? What letter? Gah, I am so confused…maybe I should have stayed for more of the anime series in my little dream world place thing…_

"I'm afraid I can tell you nothing," Ciel answered, voice monotonous.

Randall scoffed. "I would very much like to push you on that bit of evasion, but sadly her Majesty forbids torturing a peer of the realm. However…" his gaze moved to Sebastian. "There are no such rules about butlers."

I immediately stiffened in anger. Sebastian had done nothing wrong! Other than, well, marking both Ciel's soul and my own as his…but he was a demon! That was kind of his thing!

Before I knew it, Ciel was being led away, as was Sebastian. Both were handcuffed and dragged away by some more of those inspector guys, leaving me all alone. Hiding behind my trusty barrel. I kind of hoped there wasn't a dead body in it or something.

And lo and behold, when I felt it was time to come out of hiding and say goodbye to my trusty barrel and return home and hope that things weren't totally going to Hell, there was none other than my arm behind grabbed and a familiar voice whispering in my ear as I felt a sharp prick in my arm and looked down to see a syringe connected to my vein.

"You are quite the naughty girl, Aura Monray…sneaking out after curfew when you were specifically told to stay put? And after I was kind enough to release you from your dreamlike prison…oh, well. Humans are such enigmatic creatures. This makes it so much easier on me, not having to come and get you…your time to partake in the Queen's chess game has arrived, my dear."

_A…Angela…?_

My eyes widened before slipping shut, a heavy feeling coming over my body, and my knees buckled before giving in. The last thing I saw before I descended into darkness was a pair of smug violet eyes and a pale slender hand reaching out and cupping my cheek.

"You shall play a new piece in the game, dearest Aura. And your title?" A sharp pain shot through my body, and if I had been mostly conscious I would have screamed.

"…the hunter."

And then world of shadows welcomed me with wide open arms.

**X~X~*~X~X**

Candlelight flickered over the room, casting it in an eerie glow. A delicate, pale, hand reached forward to pluck the white king from its square. The pawn was moved forward, knocking down the black knight. The knight landed on the board with a 'clack.'

"Your game of a new era is about to be set into play, Your Majesty. And I have at last acquired the main playing piece."

The girl turned her head to the doorway, seeing a woman in white with large, beautiful white wings tucked neatly against her back gliding in on delicate feet. In her arms was another girl, this one with messy black hair that covered most of her face and wearing a common maid outfit.

Angela's violet eyes shimmered dangerously in the candlelight as she set them on the chess board in front of the girl sitting down. "Already practicing for the finale, I see. Good idea, Your Majesty."

The Queen of England smiled softly and nodded. "Yes…it is a nice way to pass the time. That is…the hunter?" She gestured to the girl in Angela's arms.

The angel nodded. "It is, My Lady. It is Aura Monray, the poor child whose soul has been marked for devouring by the filthy demon Sebastian Michaelis. But we shall fix all that, won't we, darling?" She cooed, brushing her hand against Aura's cheek. Leaning into the girl's ear, Angela whispered softly, "Awake, my hunter. We have much to do."

Aura's eyes opened, icy blue orbs devoid of everything gazing up at Angela, who was setting her down on the floor. She stood up straight and stayed silent, body poised as if waiting for an order.

Angela's smile grew. "Good girl. You know what you must do, correct?"

Still no answer; not even a flicker of movement or acknowledgement in the human's eyes.

The angel wanted to laugh in victory. But no—she must stay her usual dignified self. So she merely embraced the girl standing before her, ignoring the rotten stench her soul gave off—it would be cleansed soon, so Angela could handle it for now—and whispered as her lips brushed her forehead, "We must kill the demon. Kill Sebastian Michaelis. And then we will save the boy's—Ciel Phantomhive's—soul at last."

At last, Aura gave a reaction. It was a simple nod, just barely a movement of her head.

"Yes, my master."

Angela could have sung in triumph, the joy was so rampant in her heart.

All the pieces were coming together on the board at last…

The time for checkmate was arriving steadfast and sure.

**Hey, that was actually longer than I thought it was going to be! Fuck yeah~**

**So…NO ONE SUSPECTED THAT, DID THEY? Seriously, I know none of you did. I still got it in me for a few surprises here and there! :D**

**Oh man, I am going to enjoy writing these next last chapters…be prepared for demon-angel clashes and a lot of dramatic tension. And just a bunch of kickass supernaturalness that only Black Butler can bring about.**

**I'm hoping the next chapter will come out soon…but with the way my laptop is kind of useless, who knows. I do have the plot and what I want to do all mapped out in my head, it just will be very hard to get it all down…sigh…writing is so much harder nowadays. ;w;**

**I would really appreciate at least 580 reviews by my next update. I really would. I'm okay if I don't get that, but please…is it too much to ask? I don't like asking for reviews nowadays because I feel it isn't professional…but I believe I deserve a little more for updating within, like, a week of the last one! ^^;**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope your summers are going nice (if you're on summer vacation right now, that is)~!**


	31. That Girl, In The End

**So, guys. Guess what? A lot of shit has happened to me. A lot.**

**So I'm ending this story now. At least I actually made a chapter. It's probably not what you all wanted, but you know what? I just can't write it anymore. I really, truly am sorry—My Soul To Steal used to be so much fun. But then I "matured" in my writing and it just wasn't as amusing as it used to be. So…it must come to an end now.**

**Plus with this threat of a Fanfiction purge, I just have decided to give up. I want to finish this story before I get kicked off the site or my stories get deleted, since a lot of them apparently go against FFN guidelines. Evidently the mods just want shitty fics that have no plot, no action, no colorful dialogue, and no romance. **

**Fuck you, FFN. I got deviantART.**

**I know you guys will probably get angry with me. But really, this is for your benefits as well. It's better to end this rather than painfully try to keep writing. And after this, I won't be on this site really anymore. All my writing for fanfics will be on deviantART. I'm just disgusted with how this site has turned out.**

**I'll still get on to reply to PMs and review and stuff. But my days of long-term writing on FFN are over.**

**But I'm glad I had so many people who supported me so far. It really meant a lot. All of you.**

**That being said, I hope this gives you all somewhat of a closure. I know it isn't the ending you would have preferred, but please understand that it really made it easier on me.**

_**Chapter Twenty Eight**_

_**Recap:**_

_The angel wanted to laugh in victory. But no—she must stay her usual dignified self. So she merely embraced the girl standing before her, ignoring the rotten stench her soul gave off—it would be cleansed soon, so Angela could handle it for now—and whispered as her lips brushed her forehead, "We must kill the demon. Kill Sebastian Michaelis. And then we will save the boy's—Ciel Phantomhive's—soul at last."_

_At last, Aura gave a reaction. It was a simple nod, just barely a movement of her head._

_"Yes, my master."_

_Angela could have sung in triumph, the joy was so rampant in her heart._

_All the pieces were coming together on the board at last…_

_The time for checkmate was arriving steadfast and sure._

_**Present day:**_

Sebastian Michaelis stared down at the fat, ugly little man in annoyance as he ripped open the demon's shirt with a cackle.

"Hee, hee. Pretty~"

Sebastian was in a dungeon of sorts, chained to a slick and mold-covered wall with iron clamped around his wrists. Though, really, of all the dungeons he had witnessed over the years, this one was quite drab and nowhere near frightening. Now the Bastille at the time of the French Revolution…_that _had been truly a sight to see. The demon still remembered the screams, deranged mutterings, the smell of blood and feces with a fondness. So many souls just begging to die…how glorious that time had been.

"You're going to confess to your crimes eventually, you know," The Inspector Randall frowned, arms crossed behind his back. "You might as well do it soon, Sebastian."

The demon smirked, letting out a light chuckle. Sometimes it amused him to no end at just how dimwitted and dense humans could be. A demon's crimes? Even the most light of them would make the inspector's eyes and ears bleed, and he would dash straight to the nearest priest for a confession.

_I might as well enjoy my amusement and keep things…simple._

"Very well, then, I confess: It was I who was responsible for the outbreak of the Black Death in Europe."

"What?" Randall scoffed, giving Sebastian a look of confused contempt.

"As I recall, it was during the reign of Edward III," Sebastian mused.

"You think this is a joke?" Randall seethed. "That was over five hundred years ago!"

Sebastian smirked. _Yes, it was. And it was possibly one of my most glorious moments of history. So much death, so many tormented souls to be consumed…if only I could do such a thing once again in this day and age. It is a shame humans have made more civil approaches to medicine rather than leeches and drilling holes in their heads._

"Give him as much pain as you'd like," the Commissioner growled, storming out of the dank, torture chamber.

"Yessir," the man slurred, a grin on his lips. "Goody~ If you'd confessed, I don't get to have my fun, you see," he explained with a cackle, organizing a varied array of knives, axes, and other sharp weapons.

The man walked forward, looking at Sebastian appreciatively.

"Oh, look at those perfect eyes! Should I poke 'em, do you think? Or should I just cut them out of your pretty head?" the man smiled, wiping at a thin trail of drool dribbling down his chin. "No, no. Save the best for last~ How about this… first, we hear a nice scream from you pretty thing, you," he smiled, holding up a pair of pliers.

Sebastian merely smiled, closing his eyes in content.

If only the little man knew.

**X~X~*~X~X**

_"We must kill the demon. Kill Sebastian Michaelis. And then we will save the boy's—Ciel Phantomhive's—soul at last."_

Master's words ring in my mind as I help her with getting her favorite interrogation outfit on. She looks radiant—like an avenging angel, with all the soft lavender and white. I am truly lucky to have a master such as she.

"Aura, darling, you remember our plan?" Master questions me, smiling beatifically at me as I hand her the whip. It is long and worn, made of black leather. Even as I hand it to her, I can still feel the pain of all the sinners the material has touched. The filthy souls whom Master has purified with her loving embrace, which has sent them all to the glorious Kingdom in Heven.

I nod. "Yes. As soon as you are finished with the demon, I am to come and kill him. And then we are going to find Ciel Phantomhive and save him from his cruel fate." My hand instantly goes to the sword at my side—Master gave it to me, saying it was a holy weapon blessed by the King of Heaven Himself; a blade fit to send demons to their end. It is old and ancient and simple, yet so elegant in its unpretentious beauty. The hilt is polished and clean, and the blade is as silver and pure as Master's hair. I cannot wait to see until it is dripping with the demon's unholy blood.

_No…Sebastian can't die…snap out of it, Aura! Angela's put some sort of control on you—you love Sebastian! You can't kill him!_

I shake my head, instantly ridding myself of that annoying voice in my mind. It has plagued me ever since I first woke up to Master. I am her Hunter. I shall not fail her. I _will _kill Sebastian Michaelis.

I look up at Master, smiling lovingly as she pets my hair, her exquisite violet eyes meeting mine and shimmering with excitement. She has planned for this moment for a very long time. I feel so utterly amazed that I am the one she chose to assist her. I am but a lowly human—the company and trust of an angelic being such as her should not be mine.

"Are you ready, my dearest Hunter?" Master asks. I nod, staying silent. I fear that if I speak, I will ruin the most holy moment. Silence is the key. "Good. I shall be going now to deal with the prisoner. When I give the signal, that is when you are to come in. Understood?" Another meek nod from me. I know what it is I must do. My hands itch to rid the word of another unclean soul such as the demon. I want to look into his eyes and see the fear as I end his pathetic, profane excuse for a life.

"Perfect," Master purrs, placing her smooth lips on my forehead in a blessing. Immediately I feel a surge of blessed and sanctified power surge throughout my body, and I drop to my knees in prayer. Master laughs, a sound as clear and pure as church bells, and pulls me up. "There is no need for that, Aura. You know this. Now stay in here and be a good girl for Master. It will not take long."

I nod, smiling happily as Master exits the room, and sit back against the wall to wait.

The time for all of London to atone for their sins is slowly coming.

**X~X~*~X~X**

Angela's high heeled boots clicked across the stone floor of the London Tower. She twirled a whip idly between her fingers.

The iron door to Sebastian's confinement swung open with a metallic creek. She stepped inside, skirting around the man passed out against the wall and the numerous empty bottles of alcohol spread around his feet. Her purple eyes fell on the demon and a smirk spread across her red lips. His shirt was ripped all the way up, exposing the many slash wounds and bruises marring his skin. A fresh cut on his cheek was slowly dripping blood.

"You make quite a pretty picture, Sebastian," she smiled. "So this is how far you'll go to remain loyal to the master who put you here."

"Those are the terms of the contract between us," Sebastian smirked back.

Angela snapped her wrist, cracking the whip through the air. She placed a hand on her hip and grinned at the demon smugly.

"The boy must be gnashing his teeth now, don't you think?" she asked, raising the blunt end of the whip. She used it to lift Sebastian's chin, making eye contact. "…having been shown his own powerlessness."

"Yes, I imagine so," he smiled, "though I doubt it will stop him… Even if all his pawns are taken away from him, he will never pull out of the game. That's my master's nature." Sebastian smirked cruelly. "You should know that."

Angela smiled serenely up at him, purple eyes sparkling in the dim light.

"Why not admit to your own nature and start acting on your own desires?" she questioned. "This is harder on you than you'll admit. How long has it been, Sebastian, since you last devoured the soul of a human? And now you're injured as well… You must be beyond ravenous by now. Shall we make a deal, then?"

Angela lowered the blunt end of the whip to the base of Sebastian's pants and let it slowly trail upwards over his abdomen and chest.

"The true Doomsday will come in due time. When it does, you can have as many souls as you'd like." She used the end to jerk Sebastian's head upward so he had to look her in the eyes. "All you have to do is give me that boy."

"I believe I'll decline."

Angela's eyes widened in shock.

"My stomach grows weary of gobbling every unclean soul I can lay my hands on. I crave ambrosia. My young master is the only soul I want. I desire to devour no other."

Angela's eyes narrowed and she grit her teeth, taking a step backwards.

"Well, it seems our negotiations have broken down then. Such a shame…"

She turned, lashing out with her whip.

"Ye, unclean! Ye, unnecessary! Ye, unwanted! Perish and be cleansed! The pain you feel is God's purifying fire!"

Sebastian's eyes slowly closed as the whip descended onto his frayed and bloodied body. It was a bit amusing to him that Angela believed a mere whip would bring him down to his knees.

_Ah, this pain is but the spice I will use. _

"Offer up your blood for your sin!"

_My blood, but the sauce._

"Your cursed soul must be purged with flame!"

Angela's mouth parted in a sinister laugh as she continued her assault. Through the stinging pain, Sebastian couldn't help but think that if Angela had not been an angel, she would make quite the impressive demon. Better than Isolde would, at least. Now there was a failure to demonic society. It almost pained Sebastian to think back to how Isolde had fallen behind in her duties as a servant of Lucifer. A small smile curled across his lips as he thought back to how angry and vengeful Aura had been whilst the female demon had been living at the Phantomhive manor. She truly was an entertaining human.

…though the demon couldn't help but admit to himself that he was a bit concerned whether or not she had obeyed and stayed at the manor.

Suddenly the stinging lashes of the whip stopped, and Angela sneered in a disdainful tone, "I see that this manner will get us nowhere! Very well. I shall bring in my…_secret weapon."_

The fallen angel laughed, the sound grating on the demon's ears. "My dear Hunter, it is your time to shine now!"

Sebastian slowly rose his head and watched as a new figure entered the cell, wearing a pure white dress and barefoot. Her long black hair was plaited in some sort of complicated hair style above her head, blue eyes filled with nothing but joy. There was a sword attached to her hip, one that looked familiar to him. Ah, yes—it was the sword that butler to the Queen carried with him. But that wasn't the most pressing matter at the moment.

That new figure was most definitely Aura. _His _Aura.

Sebastian's eyes widened marginally in shock as he gazed upon the girl. It was Aura, yes, but at the same time…it wasn't. Gone was the familiar haughtiness in her cold eyes. Vanished from her face were the smirk lines around her mouth. That bored, "I do not care" slouch had been transformed into a prim and proper posture that would make the most prestigious of women delighted. This girl looked like Aura. This girl's soul _smelled_ like Aura—there was no mistaking that delectable scent that was always oh-so-tempting whenever the demon was at her side. But everything else that made Aura, well, _Aura…_it was gone, as if someone had taken a bucket of white paint and covered her so carefully crafted canvas with it.

Angela laughed. "Surprised, demon? I can see that you are. You know…" Her voice lowered. "I have always found that humans are so much fun to play with. Their emotions make it so entertaining. Which is why Isolde was such a _delight_ to mold into my wishes—she had become almost human in her obsession to make you hers. And now…" She bent down and whispered something in Aura's ear, and immediately the calm and radiant smile turned into a sharp, cruel grin as she stepped forward, slowly drawing the sword. Angela straightened back up, mirroring Aura's smirk. No, wait—_Aura _was the one mirroring _Angela._

"And now I shall use your own obsession against you, Sebastian Michaelis. This girl, Aura Monray—the poor child whose soul was destined to be yours—shall be your ending. You have grown attached to her, haven't you, demon? Emotionally…such as Isolde became with you. If I didn't know better…I'd say you may even hold some _human affection _for Aura, yes? One called _love._"

Sebastian remained silent, watching Aura carefully. He was not a fool. He would not give the angel the satisfaction of speaking and letting his mind get the better of him.

"And now I shall leave you two alone," Angela whispered, the sound like cold scales draping across Sebastian's skin as she retreated to the doorway. "I shall return later to fetch your body and have it disposed of, Sebastian. Farewell. It has been a good game…"

Her eyes glittered.

"But all chess players know when it is time to give up the stalemate."

And then she was gone, the door slamming shut with a thundering boom. Aura continued forward, her bare feet making soft padding noises on the damp and disgusting cell floor. She met Sebastian's crimson eyes, fire and ice tangling together just like always. Only this time, the ice wanted to consume all the fire in its path, instead of the other way around.

"It is time for your end to come, demon. You lost lamb…ye who have failed to walk the path of God. Fear not—I shall dispose of you quickly so you feel no pain." Aura held the sword in front of her, eyes closed and lips moving as if in prayer. Sebastian felt his skin prickle with uneasiness as she opened her eyes once more, and they shone with an almost feverish exuberance.

She honestly wanted to kill him. And for the first time since he could remember, Sebastian Michaelis felt…anxious.

Very anxious.

"Why, Miss Aura, where's your sharp words? Where's your usual insulting of me? Have I offended you in some manner that you wish to kill me?" Sebastian knew he was just trying to buy himself some time as he busied himself with coming up with a plan to get Aura to snap out of whatever trance she had fallen under. The chains that held him to the wall were of no consequence; he could break them whenever he wanted and escape. No angel, fallen or not, could ever have a hold on a demon such as he. But Aura…he would have to escape with her. He could not stand by and watch as that filthy winged beast 'purified' her. Aura was his. _His._ And he would destroy anyone who would try and change that.

Just like he would for his young master.

Aura merely giggled, a slightly maniacal and demented sound as she raised the sword up high. "Of course you have, demon. Your entire existence is an eyesore to my master. So I must destroy you. Goodbye, Sebastian Michaelis…~"

With a grin, the sword came down with an alarming speed.

"_Bring peace to the lost lamb, grant rest to the fangs of the wolf, and deliver the Hammer of God unto the Devil!_"

But then time stopped.

The blade did not touch Sebastian's skin.

He stared up at Aura as she seemed frozen, holding the sword merely a breadth's away from his neck, her face contorted in what seemed to be pain. Her entire body shook, a strangled, animal-like cry tearing from her lips, and she suddenly stumbled back, her grip on the sword loosening. It clattered to the floor with a metallic ring and bounced off of the walls until it slowly faded away. Aura dropped to the floor, hand clamped on her head, muttering quietly and rocking back and forth.

When she looked up, there were tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto that lovely white dress.

"S-Sebastian…" She whispered, a soft sob ripping from her throat. "H-Help me…I-it hurts…o-oh God, it hurts so much…I almost killed you…but that's because it hurts so _much_…!"

Sebastian was a bit taken aback. What on earth had just happened? He remained calm, however, and merely questioned, "What hurts, Miss Aura?"

Her next words made a sensation as good as shock jolt through Sebastian's body.

"_My soul._"

The demon and the human girl stared at one another for quite some time, until Sebastian sighed and yanked his hands against the chains once. Immediately they broke, and he landed on the floor gracefully. His bare chest and arms still bled, small crimson rivers running all over his pale skin, but it didn't matter. He knelt beside the shuddering girl, placing a hand on her back. Immediately she stiffened, a small whimper coming from her throat, and gazed at Sebastian with desperate eyes.

This was his Aura. But it was the part of her that she had buried beneath all the sharp, sarcastic remarks. The part that he had been waiting for so long to see.

"Make it stop," Aura croaked pleadingly, shaking her head as if to rid it of an annoying pest buzzing around her ears. "Make it stop…please, Sebastian…S-Sebastian…please…" She gazed at him with bleak, desperate, almost lifeless eyes. "Make it _stop…_"

"There, there, Miss Aura," Sebastian whispered comfortingly, stroking the shaking girl's back gently. _Yes, _his mind whispered. _Now is the time. This is when you must take her soul. You know it, Sebastian. You need it to battle the angel when the time comes so you can protect the young master._

And her soul was ready for it, too. It had at last ripened, matured, so that it wanted nothing more than to be taken from her body and devoured by him and him alone. Aura Monray belonged to him, body and soul. And yes, mayhap his emotions toward her bordered on the little sentiment humans called "love," but for a demon…the kindest thing a demon could do for a human they "loved" was to take their soul before anything else befell them.

It was time.

"Aura," Sebastian murmured, lips brushing her ear. "I am going to make the pain go away now, all right? You must not be afraid. I promise I will not harm you. It will be relaxing, pleasant even. Do you trust me?"

Aura looked up at him, eyes shimmering with tears as a diminutive, resolved smile cracked across her lips. She nodded. "Y-yes…I trust you, you arrogant demon bastard…just make it all stop…please…"

A small chuckle escaped Sebastian's throat as he cupped her wet cheeks in his hands, making her face him. "Now there's the Aura I know, what with your rude comments. It will be a shame to never hear them anymore. I admit I have become quite fond of them, my dear." He wiped a tear away, watching as the little bead of water traveling down his slender finger and drip onto the floor. "As I have with you, Aura."

Aura sniffled. "I-I still hate you, you know…but I also…" She swallowed, taking a deep breath. A look of peace crossed over her face, and she gave Sebastian the most sincere smile he had ever witnessed gracing her lips.

"I love you, Sebastian Michaelis. I love you, I hate you, and I always will. Even after this, you fuckface."

Sebastian smiled back, lowering his head to rest against hers, lips just about brushing her own. "I know. So that is why I will make this painless for you. Thank you, Miss Aura. For putting up with this as long as you did."

"T-Tell Ciel I'm sorry," Aura whispered as her eyes slid shut. "Tell him I'll miss him…tell everyone that. Please…"

"I will," Sebastian promised gently. "I will."

And then he placed his lips softly on hers.

In that moment, one thing became clear to Sebastian Michaelis.

That the soul of the one you loved was the most fantastic thing to ever taste in your entire lifetime.

**X~X~*~X~X**

Many things followed after Aura at last became mine.

To tell the truth, I didn't exactly extract her soul completely.

I merely made her into something better.

But that shall be revealed at a later down.

For now, it is my duty to speak of what happened after I returned home from the jail.

The Chinese drug merchant Lau at last met his end, as did poor, misguided Inspector Abberline.

The Queen approached my young master Ciel while we were in France.

I rescued him from her angel butler and then went to do my own business, as one hell of a butler should.

My young master returned to London.

The city of London burned.

The accursed demon hound was killed by my master's faithful servants.

The Queen perished and was replaced with a false one.

The angel—the amorphous one, who was Angela Blanc one moment, Ash Landers the next—was destroyed, completing the great bridge of London.

All I witnessed all of it—I helped to make some of it happen.

I, Sebastian Michaelis, demon butler to the young earl of Phantomhive; Ciel.

And now it is all over at last.

It is time for me to take what it rightfully mine.

His soul.

**X~X~*~X~X**

"You are awake, young master?"

Ciel sat up, rubbing at his eyes. Sebastian and he were in…a boat of sorts, he supposed. Everything around him was shrouded in a deep mist.

"Where are we?"

"Do you want to know?"

"That's why I asked," Ciel frowned. He paused for a moment and sighed, turning away. "No, on second thought… I have a feeling I don't need to know." He looked calmly over the edge of the boat and into the calm waters flowing beneath. "What's that?"

"Your Cinematic Record. Apparently, it drifted all the way out here."

Ciel peered back into the image filled water.

"I see. So this is…the life I've lived. I'm…dead now."

"Not yet, my lord," Sebastian smiled. "I will be delivering your death presently. As the Phantomhive butler, I will take full responsibility of you until the end."

Ciel scoffed lightly and turned back to the water. A memory of Elizabeth caught his attention.

"Lizzi is sure to cry like a baby…"

"Yes. Lady Elizabeth's love for you runs very deep."

"She was a sobbing mess when Madam Red died, too."

"That's because she cried your tears and hers," Sebastian smiled, "seeing as you were being so mulish."

Another memory flickered before him; the one of Aura embracing him and squealing like a dimwit at his birthday party. It seemed so long ago.

"You never did say what happened to Aura." But he suspected something, ever since Sebastian returned from the jailer. His butler had been…different. More powerful, almost.

"I saw no reason to. She is now content where she is. I can guarantee you that, Bocchan. She merely wanted to tell you that she is sorry. And that she misses you. But do not fret about Miss Aura."

Ciel was silent for a bit longer as Sebastian continued to row.

The next memory that flickered through the water was one of Mey Rin, Finni, and Bard.

"Are those three dead?"

"I couldn't say, my lord. The last I saw them, they appeared to be breathing."

"They always were uncommonly stubborn…and Pluto?"

"Would you prefer if I collected his bones later and buried them?" Sebastian asked.

"His bones…?" Ciel repeated. "No. What meaning could bones have? Everything is…"

"Everything is what?"

Ciel sighed and closed his eyes.

"Never mind. I guess it's still a bit too soon to speak of everything." He looked up and his eye caught a speck of bright, green, light. Ciel's brow furrowed when he noticed more of them floating through the air. "What are these?"

"They are the feelings held for you by the people who've passed through your life."

"Feelings for me, eh?" He paused, watching one swirl rebelliously away from the others and dance across his vision in a series of twists and loops before floating away. "…They're pretty…"

"Pretty?"

"Yes." Ciel sighed, looking back down at the water. "Parting with everyone doesn't make me feel any loneliness or sadness… But I do think these are pretty."

Ciel looked ahead of the boat and off into the thick fog. Not that far into the distance, he could see the outline of an island.

The young Earl sighed, closing his eyes and leaning against the side of the boat.

_It's almost over._

**X~X~*~X~X**

"Here, young master," Sebastian sighed, placing Ciel down on a small, stone, bench.

Ciel glanced around himself at the ruins the demon had brought him too.

"So this is where it ends?"

"Yes."

Ciel looked around once more and his eyes narrowed. He turned to send the crow perched behind him on one of the dilapidated stone pillars a sharp glare.

"That bird is eyeing me."

"I suppose."

"Maybe you can give it what's left of my soul."

"As kind as ever, young master."

Ciel raised a hand to the eye that held the symbol of the contract between himself and the demon before him.

"Will it hurt?"

"It will a bit, but I will make it as gentle as I can—"

"No, be as brutal as you want," Ciel ordered. "Etch the pain into my soul. It's proof that I had a life worth living."

Sebastian smiled lightly and knelt down, placing a gloved hand over his heart.

"Yes, my lord."

Ciel leaned back against the stone bench, eyes half lidded. Sebastian stepped forward, removing his glove with his teeth. It fell to the ground with a light thud that echoed in Ciel's ears. Sebastian reached forward, loosening Ciel's eye patch and pulling it from his face.

"I suppose I'll see Aura now. I will have to tell her that Luna died defending everyone from Pluto. She'll be quite upset, knowing her."

Sebastian smiled. It was an almost unsettling gesture to Ciel—one of covert and dark secrets. Like he knew something Ciel did not know. Ciel could have scoffed, however—of course Sebastian knew things he had no inkling of. He was a demon.

The demon leaned forward, lips parted in a content smirk and eyes glimmering a haunting red. Ciel's vision faded to black, Sebastian's glowing eyes the only thing visible in the dark abyss. But before Ciel's vision completely turned to nothing but shadows, he could gave sworn he saw another pair of eyes, glowing icy sapphires next to his butler's crimson orbs.

Those eyes were very familiar.

"Now then, young master…"

"Don't worry, Ciel. Getting your soul taken isn't that bad. It's kind of nice, actually. I'll see you soon, my adoptive little brother."

Ciel couldn't help but smile knowingly. He had always suspected it, deep down. No matter how much Sebastian or Aura had denied it—denied that they were fond of one another.

It made sense that Sebastian had turned Aura into a demon instead of taking her soul.

At least now they could share his own in some twisted act of demonic love.

**And that's the end.**

**Basically what happened was this: Sebastian started to take a bit of Aura's soul, but then realized that he honestly somehow did love her. So he just devoured some of her soul, and then turned her into a demon so they could be together. Cliché, right? Fuck yeah. Stick that in your juicebox and suck it.**

**No, I will not be doing a sequel. No matter how much someone begs.**

**I just want this story to finally be done with.**

**It was, more or less, a fantastically fun ride. But I get easily nauseas on rollercoasters, so I suppose after enough twists and turns and loops it was time for this fic to end.**

**I wish you all the best of luck in your fanfiction endeavors, and I hope none of you get affected by the cruel and useless purge that shall most likely happen.**

**Thank you all who have supported me thus far. I couldn't have done it without you.**

**Now go read something worth your time. **


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